1 



HA 

1159 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, 



[SMITHSONIAN DEPOSIT.] 



I ^ .fi.53 $ 

0 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 



r 




CITY CHAMBERLAIN. 



GLASGOW: 
PRINTED BY JAMES MACNAB, 11 MILLER STREET. 

MDCCCLXX. 

5fl__ - : ----- 




REPORT 



UPON THE 



OF GLASGOW, 



FOR 1869 



WM, WEST WATSON, F.S.S., 
7 



CITY CHAMBERLAIN. 



-1° 
0 



GLASGOW: 
PRINTED BY JAMES MACNA.B, 11 MILLER STREET. 



MDCCCLXX. 

C 



HA 



QS3 



C O N T 



NTS. 



Introduction, ....... 5 

Weather of 1869, . . . . . 6 

Rainfall of Glasgow, ...... 8 

Table of Rainfall for 10 years in Glasgow, ... 9 

Natural Increase of Population, . . . . 10 

Bronchitis, Phthisis, &c, ..... 11-12 

Typhus and other Diseases, . . . . 13 

Registration Acts and Local Registration, . . .14-15 

Former and Present Mortality of the City, . . . a 6- 17 

Relative Proportions of Births, Deaths, and Marriages, . 17 
Birth Rates and Death Rates, . . . .18-19 

Proportion of Marriages generally, . 19-20 

Mortality Table from 185 1 to 1854, .... 21-24 

Births in 1869, ...... 25 

Ratio of Deaths, ...... 26 

Deaths in 1869, ...... 27 

Mortality of Scotland 1856 to 1865, . . . . 28-29 

Marriages in 1869, ...... 29-30 

Marriages from 1 861 to 1869, ..... 30 

Infantile Mortality of 1869, ..... 31-32 

High Mortality of 1869, . . . . . 32 

Overcrowding, . . ... . . . 33-35 

Density of Population in large towns, ... 36 

Do. Do. in Edinburgh, 37 

Summary of Vital Statistics, .. . . . 39 

Comprehensive Tables, viz. : — 

1. A Weekly Statement of the Births, Deaths, Marriages, 

Temperature, and Rainfall in Glasgow during 1869, 40 

2. Table of the Mortality in Glasgow from Twenty-six 

Leading Causes of Death in each Year, from 1 861 to 

1869, both inclusive, . . . . . 41 

3. Table of the Chief Causes of Death at four periods of 

Life, registered in Glasgow in each Month of 1869, 42-43 

4. Table of all the Causes of Death registered in Glasgow 

in each Month of 1869, at four periods of Life, 

grouped in Classes, ..... 44-45 

5. A Comprehensive Summary of the Births, Deaths, and 

Marriages registered in Glasgow in each District and 

in each Month of 1869, .... 46-47 

6. A Summary of the Causes of Death registered in Glas- 

gow in 1869, at four periods of Life, and grouped in 
Classes, with a Comparative Summary for Eight pre- 
ceding Years, ...... 48-49 



iv. 

PAGE 

* The Population of the City, ..... 50-53 
Progress of the Population of the City, . . . 53-54 
Interments within the City, ..... 54-56 
The Boundaries of the City, ..... 56-57 
Area of the City, . . . . . .58-59 

- Rental of the City, ...... 60 

Abstract of the Rental of the City, .... 60-61 

Rental of the last fifteen years, .... 61-62 

Rental of Occupied and Unoccupied Dwelling-houses, . 63 

Numbers of do. do., . 63 

Occupied and Unoccupied Possessions, ... 64 

Do. do. Dwelling-houses 1861 to 1869, . 64 

• New Houses, . . . . . . . 65 

Valuation of Burghs of Lanarkshire, .... 66 

Do. whole County, exclusive of Burghs, '. . 67-68 

Constituency of the City, ..... 68 

Number of Electors in each Ward, .... 69 

Steam-Engine Power of Glasgow, .... 70-72 

The River Clyde, ...... 73-75 

Shipbuilding on the Clyde, . . . . . 75 

New Vessels Launched on the Clyde in 1869, . . 76-77 
Vessels in process or under Contract at 31st December, 1869, 78 

Shipbuilding on the Clyde — 1863 to 1869, ... 78 

Do. on the Wear and Tyne — 1863 to 1869, . 79 

Shipowning at Glasgow, ..... 79-80 

Ships on the Register at Glasgow — 18 10 to 1869, . . 81 

Shipping Arrivals at Glasgow — 1831 to 1869, . . 82 

Number and Tonnage of Arrivals, do. . . 83 

Customs Duties Collected on the Clyde — 1859 to 1869, . 84-85 

Sugar Trade of the Clyde, — Beet-Root Sugar, . . 85-87 

Tea and Tobacco, ...... 88-89 

Duty Paid on Tea— 1868 and 1869, . . . . 89 

■Sugar, Tea, and Coffee — United Kingdom — 1862 to 1869, . 90-91 

Emigration from the Clyde, . . . . . 92 

The Water Supply, ...... 93-95 

City Fires in 1869, ...... 95-96 

The Gas Supply, . . . . . . 96 

National Security Savings Banks, .... 97-98 

Penny Savings Banks, — Post Office, — New University, . 99 

Abattoirs, . . . . . . . 100 

Cattle Market, . . . . , . , 101 

Statue to Lord Clyde, ..... 101-102 

Obituary, — Conclusion, ..... 103 



TO THE 



LORD PROVOST, MAGISTRATES, AND TOWN COUNCIL 

OF THE . . . 

CITY OF GLASGOW. 



My Lord and Gentlemen, 

The revolving seasons bring to us again the 
period when my Annual Keport upon the Vital, Social, and 
Economic Statistics of the City, for the bygone year, requires to 
be laid before you, — and once more I have attempted to perform 
the task assigned to me. With what success it has been accom- 
plished, it remains for you to determine ; but in any event, I am 
sure that I do not rely in vain upon your kind forbearance 
wherever, and as often as my deficiencies become apparent. 



B 



6 



REPORT. 



The year 1869 has been in this district characterised by an 
unusual amount of atmospheric disturbance, an unusual range of 
temperature, and, unhappily, by an extent of mortality unprece- 
dented for many years within the City of Glasgow. 

The year opened with unseasonable mildness — both January and 
February exhibiting the highest mean temperature of these months 
during any of the last ten years, with the exception of February in 
the immediately preceding year. There was likewise in these two 
months an unusual amount of rainfall, extending to more than one 
fourth of that of the whole year ; together with an excessive 
amount of southerly wind, and a very high rate of mortality. The 
succeeding month of March was characterised by the opposite 
meteorological features ; the temperature was lower than during 
the average of many years ; the wind blew from the north and 
east during 23 days, in place of from the west as is usual in this 
month ; and the rainfall was the lightest of any during the entire 
year, — in short, it was a bitter and inclement month, and the mor- 
tality of the city culminated in an aggregate of 1,768, by very much 
the highest amount of any month upon record since the establishment 
of the registration system in 1855. Then followed April, equally 
unseasonable, but in an opposite direction, — it was the warmest 
April since 1856, with an exceedingly light rainfall, and an excess 
of southerly and westerly winds ; and the mortality fell nearly 300 
below that of March. Again, as if to vindicate the contrasting 
features of the seasons, May presented the lowest temperature 
and the lightest rainfall of any May upon record, together 
with an unusual preponderance of east wind ; yet the death 
rate showed a diminution of nearly 100 as compared with 
April. The month of June exhibited a lower temperature than 
usual, up till the middle of the month, when a storm of great 



7 



violence seemed to have brought the elemental derangements 
into something of equilibrium, — the remainder of the month 
was genial and seasonable, and the vagaries of the atmosphere 
subsided until (with the exception of September,) nearly the 
close of the year, although August was exceptionally noticeable 
by an unusually 'wide range of temperature as well as by 
a deficiency of rain. The mortality fell to 1,013 in August ; 
and, although September was marked by much atmospheric 
disturbance, indeed storms, and by a very unusual amount of 
rainfall, the mortality fell away to 915 — by very much the 
lowest of the year. October and November were average 
months, exhibiting no unusual features, excepting the fre- 
quency of high winds, with a very great preponderance from 
the west, and an unusual rainfall in the latter month ; but 
the mortality made a sudden bound from 980 in October to 
1,313 in November ; aud December closed this year of strange 
variations with the lowest average temperature of any December 
since 1860, a succession of stormy winds, a rainfall much above 
the average, and a mortality of 1,540, — being next to March, 
by far the most fatal month of this year. Bronchitis was in 
both instances the chief destroyer — this single disease, or class 
of disease, having carried off no fewer than 361 victims in 
March, and 409 in December. The aggregate of the mortality of 
the year assigned to this one cause furnishes a sad record of 2,545 
victims, to which number no other disease in the catalogue, 
not even typhus, offers an approach of one half, excepting 
consumption alone, which proved fatal to 1,812. Of the victims 
of bronchitis and phthisis, — the majority of the former were as 
usual, children ; of the latter, with equal regularity, the youthful 
and the mature. Bronchitis, of its 2,545, carryiug off 1,559 
under 5 years of age ; while phthisis, out of its 1,812, numbered 
only 220 at that early period of life. On the other hand, 
the usual preponderance of male deaths from the former, and 
of females from the latter disease, is not very marked in the 
present instance. 

With reference to these Statistics of the two diseases in 
question, I shall revert to the subject in a later paragraph ; 
but in the meantime may remark, that although it may occa- 
sionally happen that acute affections of the respiratory organs 



s 



are confounded with each other, and even sometimes with 
phthisis, when assigning to them a popular name, still the 
same sources of error continue from year to year, and render 
the retention of the names as entered in the Kegistrar's books 
a means of comparing one year's results with those of another. 

The year will also he long memorable in the West of 
Scotland for the remarkable drought experienced during the 
half-year extending from the middle of March to the middle 
of September. Upon an average of the last ten years, the 
rainfall during the six months in question has been, as nearly 
as may be, 19 inches, but in 1869 it did not amount to 
10 inches ; indeed, March, May, and August, all combined, 
contributed little more than one-fourth of even this small 
quantity. Now, when we reflect that the period under consider- 
ation is that during which evaporation is most active, and also 
that it followed a year during portions of which a remarkably 
high and exhausting temperature was experienced, it is not 
surprising to find that the sources of supply in many places 
entirely failed. Indeed, but for the bountiful supply secured 
to us from Loch Katrine, through the wisdom and forethought 
of the men of the present generation, Glasgow would undoubtedly 
have furnished a still more sad catalogue of mortality than 
even it has previously done; and when we regard the condition 
to which some of the towns in our neighbourhood were reduced 
through the want of this prime necessary of existence — when 
the factories of Greenock and Paisley were actually brought to 
a stand-still for a considerable period — the very vision of the 
extremities to which our enormous population would have been 
reduced becomes appalling. 

Page ninth is devoted to a table of the rainfall in Glasgow 
during each individual month of the last ten years, and the 
facts alluded to in the foregoing paragraph with regard to that 
of 1869, will be found to be fully verified by the figures 
exhibited. 



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10 

There were 15,640 deaths and 18,490 births registered during 
the year, thus adding to the population, by what is termed 
" natural increase," only the small number of 2,850 souls. This is 
by much the smallest increase of this kind exhibited during any of 
the last nine years, the mere average of which has been 4,527, 
ranging from 5,778 in 1867, which was a year of remarkably 
reduced mortality, down to the 2,850 already named. The 
reduction is attributable partly to a diminution of the number 
of births, even as compared with 1868, but chiefly to the very 
marked increase in the amount of mortality, which in 1869 
exceeds that of 1868 by so many as 1,815, or 151 in each 
month. The following table exhibits the annual increase during 
each of the last nine years, as well as the averages of each of 
the events, and of the annual increase during the whole period. 



NATURAL INCREASE OF THE POPULATION 1861-69. 



Year. 


Births. 


Deaths. 


Natural Increase. 


1861. 


16,536 


10,932 


5,604 


1862. 


16,397 


11,569 


4,828 


1863. 


16,988 


13,327 


3,661 


1864. 


17,434 


13,674 


3,760 


1865. 


17,928 


13,912 


4,016 


1866. 


18,287 


12,826 


5,461 


1867. 


18,356 


12,578 


5,778 


1868. 


18,609 


13,825 


4,784 


1869. 


18,490 


15,640 


2,850 


Total of 9 years, 
Average of do., 


159,025 


118,283 


40,742 


17,669 


13,143 


4,527 



In a progressive population like ours it is natural to expect that 
the mortality should likewise exhibit an increase, and if it did 



il 



advance in any regular or even approximately defined ratio, the 
subject could attract little or no remark, — but it is not found to 
be so. The population advances sometimes with greater, some- 
times with smaller strides, but the amount of mortality leaps and 
stops, advances and recedes, in the most fantastic fashion. As 
already stated, that of 1869 has amounted to 15,640, yet this 
enormous aggregate was exceeded so far back as 1847, when 
upwards of 18,000 of our people died; and again in 1854, 
when 17,000 died; and was almost equalled in 1853, when 
nearly 15,000 died. But in each of these instances we can 
lay the finger upon a leading cause. In the first of these years 
it arose from famine and its consequences, in the other two from 
cholera. 

The year just past, however, has not been rendered remarkable 
by any particular epidemic, but rather by a general aggravation 
of many of the diseases to which our population is exposed, and 
among them are especially noticeable those connected with the 
chest. Foremost of all stands bronchitis, which carried off, as 
already stated, no fewer than 2,545 victims, showing an increase 
upon the preceding year of 630, and exceeding by upwards of 
700 the annual average of the last nine years. The increase of 
this sad malady presents some very singular features. From 1861 
to 1865 it ran a tolerably equal race with phthisis, sometimes 
the one and sometimes the other preponderating, but since 1865 
it has steadily widened the distance from its terrible rival. In 
1865 it had a majority of only 8, but in 1866 this had risen to 
119, and was followed by a majority of 244 in 1867, by 120 in 
1868, and by 723 in 1869. Now this is tne more remarkable, 
because we are almost universally under the impression that 
phthisis or consumption is not only our deadliest malady, but is 
always rapidly advancing. I find, nevertheless, that while the 
deaths of 1869 from phthisis amount to 1,812, they do not very 
greatly exceed the annual average of nine years, which has been 
1,716. Going back, however, sixteen or eighteen years, I find 
the following noteworthy facts upon record, that the deaths in 
Glasgow were, in 1852, 1,980 from phthisis and 433 from bron- 
chitis; in 1853, 2,490 from phthisis and 513 from bronchitis; in 
1854, 2,350 from phthisis and only 394 from bronchitis. 

It may possibly be objected to these last figures that they are 



12 



open to doubt, being in a great measure derived from tbe loose 
nomenclature popularly applied to diseases, and so quoted to the 
burial registrar ; but when we come to the succeeding year, 1855, 
when the Eegistration Act was in full operation in Scotland, and 
the returns were checked by the medical officials, we find a 
fair amount of corroboration of the approximate accuracy of the 
figures, for the numbers brought out for that year were 
1,417 from phthisis, and 694 from bronchitis. A comparison 
of these figures with those of 1869 — when 1,417 have advanced 
in fourteen years to 1,812, while 694 have in the same period 
assumed the magnitude of 2,545 — leaves little or no doubt as 
to the increasing fatality of bronchitis. 

Before leaving this particular disease, or possibly class of diseases, 
let me advert to the fact that inflammatory diseases of the respira- 
tory organs, in which bronchitis takes by far the leading place, are 
stated by the Eegistrar- General to be the only class that produces 
constantly twice the mortality in urban, that they do in rural 
districts; for from 1855 to 1864 (the latest tabulated decennary), 
in every 100,000 persons who died in Scotland, there fell 
through these causes 150 in the insular, 204 in the mainland 
rural, while 407 were the victims in the town districts. As 
illustrative of the prevalence of this disease during last year 
in districts far remote from this, I instance the case of White- 
chapel Union, a district of London, somewhat analagous in 
character to our High Street and Bridgegate. It contains a 
population of about 70,000, or somewhere about that of the 
City of Aberdeen, and is situated in the very heart of the 
metropolis. Having been furnished with the returns, I find 
that while the pauper cases of bronchitis and catarrh — for they 
are there grouped together — treated by the officers of the Union, 
amounted during the whole nine years preceding 1869, to 5,907, 
thus exhibiting an average of 656 a-year, and while those of 

1868 taken by itself had only amounted to 450, the cases of 

1869 alone actually reached the enormous amount of 6,320, or 
considerably beyond the entire aggregate of the whole previous 
nine years. At the same time I may mention in passing, that 
with an experience something like our own, small-pox which had 
averaged for the whole ten years, 1860 to 1869, 124 cases 
per annum, had dwindled in 1869 to 5 cases in all. 



13 



Typhus has taken off 948 victims, and exhibits a considerable 
increase upon the average of nine years, which has been 708, 
ranging from 1,177 in 1865 down to 338 in 1868. With 
the exception of the first two months of the year, and September 
and October, this disease has maintained a remarkable uniformity 
in its fatality; and with the exception of phthisis, is by far 
the most fatal disease to our population in middle life. Of 
the 948, only 59 were under 5 years of age ; 13 v ^ were of ages 
from 5 to 20; 69 again were above 60; while 688 fell in 
the prime of maturity, at ages ranging from 20 to 60. 

Thus, these three diseases alone, account for 5,305 deaths, or 
more than a third of the whole mortality. Hooping cough and 
scarlatina both exhibit a slight decrease as compared with 1868, 
although both are greatly beyond the average of nine years. 
Pneumonia shows a large increase, and is also greatly beyond 
average ; while these three combined, account for a further amount 
of 2,352 deaths, of which 1,688 are infantile. Hydrocephalus 
shows a slight increase, and measles a very marked one, and these 
two account for 1,110, of which 1,004 are infantile. From both 
disease of the heart and from old age there has been a considerable 
increase of deaths ; both are in excess of the average, and together 
have carried off 860 persons. We have thus seen the causes of 
nearly 10,000 of the deaths of the year. The remainder of the 
numerous diseases which have proved fatal have, with a few ex- 
ceptions, each carried off only a small number of persons, and 
among these small-pox may merely be noticed in passing, as it 
has now fallen to occupy a very insignificant place indeed, having 
only carried off seven victims, all infants. " If the continued 
immunity in Scotland from this disease is not attributable to the 
compulsory Vaccination Act, there is a marvellous coincidence 
in the cessation of the disease and the application of the measure. 
Let us go back a very few years and regard the figures. Even 
so lately as 1863 there died of this disease in Glasgow 349 per- 
sons, and in 1864, 300 ; but going no further back than the 
period extending from the years 1852 to 1854, we find that even 
then it was a still more formidable malady, having carried off 
in these three years respectively the numbers of 584, 296, and 
467. As illustrative of the altered views with which this 
disease has latterly come to be regarded, there was a recent 

c 



14 



article in the Lancet calling attention to the remarkable mor- 
tality caused by small-pox in Paris, which in the hospitals, 
had, during the year 1869, carried off as many as 270 victims. 
The figures given in the preceding paragraph point to a very 
different state of matters with ourselves, when our population 
did not amount to one-fourth of the present population of 
Paris, and yet at that time the subject caused among us no 
great extent of alarm or even of observation. 

I have had occasion, in the course of these remarks, to allude 
to the Registration Act, which came into operation in Scotland 
for the first time in 1855. The system had been introduced 
into England in July, 1837, and became rapidly appreciated 
and recognised. Our local authorities, impressed with the im- 
portance of the subject, desired to obtain for ourselves some 
such statistics as were thus ascertained, and after waiting until 
1851 in disappointed expectation of the extension of the system 
to Scotland, they instructed the intelligent superintendent of the 
Corporation burying-grounds to furnish returns from all the 
burying places within the boundaries, of the number of burials, 
together with the causes of death. These were tabulated and 
printed monthly, following as nearly as was practicable the 
arrangement adopted by the English Registrar General ; and 
during the period which they include, viz., from April, 185!, 
to December, 1854, when they ceased to be required, they 
furnish certain interesting information as to the mortality of 
Glasgow, not otherwise available. The success of the scheme 
so far, induced the authorities to extend the amount of informa- 
tion, by including in the returns from January, 1852, the 
number of baptisms as recorded in the Parish registers, and 
the proclamations of marriage, as also recorded in the registers, 
in the hope of thus obtaining a complete record of the three 
great statistical data — the births, deaths, and marriages of the 
community. The result of this latter portion of the scheme 
furnishes a notable instance of the necessity for compulsory 
enactm ents in all matters capabl e of con cealment, yet requisite 
to be known. The births so registered were found to be recorded 
in the three years, 1852 to 1854, as 7,920, 7,957, and 8,735, 
or not very greatly more than one half of what we now know 
must have been the reality. On such terms, the City would 



15 



have become rapidly depopulated, when we look to the heavy 
amount of mortality prevailing. It has since become evident 
how vast a disproportion there then existed between the num- 
ber of births and the record of baptisms. On the other hand 
the record of proclamations of marriages might have been found 
to afford nearly as much of a puzzle, for in the three years 
named they amounted respectively to 4,160, 4,348, and 4,662, 
or an average of 4,390 a-year, numbers which, with regard to 
actual marriages, are scarcely approached even until this day, for 
the average of the last nine years, including 1869, is only yet 
3,909, among a population increased by about a hundred thousand 
souls. At the first glance, the obviously available inference 
would be that a very remarkable number of persons, must, after 
being proclaimed, have thought better over the matter and 
allowed it to drop ; but there is a simpler and more satisfactory 
solution in the fact, that proclamations of parties belonging to 
different parishes must each be published in both parishes, and 
we therefore prefer to adopt the conclusion that a large number 
of marriages proclaimed in Glasgow must have been solemnized 
elsewhere. 

The difficulties, however, which are thus presented by these 
births and marriages, do not exist in connection with burials. 
The Registrars of the present time take no account of t he still- 
born, they neither regard them as living or dead, as births, or 
as deaths ; but although these little ones thus escape registra- 
tion, yet they must find a grave, and if therefore, we deduct 
the number of their little resting-places from the total number, 
we may even still regard the registered number of burials, 
at least it was so at the period in question, as a reasonably 
reliable measure of the amount of mortality — the few who 
are carried away to be buried with their kindred, beyond our 
limits, may be considered as balanced by an equal number who 
are similarly brought for interment within our own boundaries. 
I verified this fact in 1 863 and 1864, when I found that the 
number of burials exceeded those of the registered deaths, by 
numbers not greatly varying from those which still-born burials 
might be expected to account for. I need scarcely add, how- 
ever, that now, year after year, the extension of our immediate 
suburbs in every direction renders this measure of reference less 



16 



and less reliable, until the time arrives — and it seems now to be 
not distant — when we shall " bury our dead out of our sight" 
in localities considerably removed from the busy haunts and 
homes of living 1 men. 

But this dark story of mortality is not without some relieving 
features ; and much as we were startled and surprised last year, 
week after week, by the Registrar-General's reports upon our 
rate of mortality, I daresay that many readers will be equally sur- 
prised when told, that unsatisfactory as our sanitary condition has 
been, it is actually somewhat superior to what it was twenty years 
ago. I do not allude to the terrible year, 1847 — that which 
followed the potato famine — when shoals of destitute beings 
flocked into Glasgow, both from Ireland and the Scotch High- 
lands, to seek an asylum and a grave, and the deaths of the 
city exceeded 18,000 ; but I allude to the series of years com- 
mencing with 1848, and terminating with 1854. During these 
seven years, the aggregate of deaths amounted to 93,453. No doubt 
that period of time included no less than two invasions of cholera, 
but, striking off in round numbers 7,700 victims as having fallen 
before that destroyer, there remain 85,753, or after deducting the 
liberal allowance of 6,753 for still-born, which at that time were 
reckoned in the mortality returns, there remain 79,000 other 
deaths of ordinary occurrence, forming an average of 11,286 for 
each of the seven years in question. Let us now compare these 
seven years with the seven years last past. During these last 
seven years the mortality has averaged 13,683 a-year, and it thus 
exhibits an increase of 2,397 deaths over the corresponding 
average in each year of the preceding period in question. But 
how stands the population at the respective periods compared? 
If we adopt the calculation of the Registrar- General that in 
the middle of 1869 it was 458,937, and assume that at 30th 
June, 1866, the middle of the seven years now under com- 
parison, it was 438,000 ; and again, that at 30th June, 1851, 
it only amounted to 334,000, — we arrive at the conclusion — 
not a flattering one undoubtedly, but yet it is more satisfactory 
than might have been anticipated — that while the general 
mortality of the city was, excluding cholera, 33*80 per 1000 
in the seven years 1848 to 1854, it had abated to 31*24 
in the seven years ranging from 1863 to 1869. In short, it 



17 



would thus appear that the average mortality of the seven years, 
1848-54, actually closely approached that of the severely ex- 
ceptional year, 1869. 

The local published register, ranging from April, 1851, to 
December, 1854, alluded to in a preceding paragraph, had naturally 
a very limited circulation, and copies are now exceedingly rarely 
to be found. I have consequently regarded it as desirable to take 
the present means of preserving to a certain extent, some portions 
of the information it affords of the details of the mortality of the 
period which it includes. Accordingly, I have compiled a con- 
densed table of the monthly sequence of deaths from sixteen of 
the more fatal diseases from which our population suffered, 
and have added the corresponding details, which are of sad 
interest, regarding the latest serious visitation of cholera. The 
tables in question occupy pages 21 to 24, and although a con- 
siderable amount of space is thus taken up, they will be found 
to afford very interesting means of comparing the progress or 
recess of the various diseases enumerated during the years in 
question, with their position during later periods. 

It has long been observed, although recently more attention 
than formerly has been attracted to the subject, that with regard 
to births and deaths, and also marriages, the ratio increases 
remarkably wherever large numbers of people are massed together. 
I do not, of course, allude to actual increase, for that is self 
evident, but to a greater rate of increase in large than in small 
communities. The Eegistrar- General gives expression to his 
views on the matter in very striking, and possibly, one may be 
pardoned for suggesting, in somewhat positive language ; but 
indicating at all events, very forcibly, how artificial is the con- 
dition of human existence in towns and cities, as compared with 
the rural and more natural state of man. He says — " It would 
appear that nature does nothing without a compensation, although 
this fact seems hitherto to have been entirely overlooked." [?] 
" Thus, if the principal towns have the greatest proportion of 
d eaths , they have also the highest proportion of births and mar- 
riages, whil e eac h of the other groups have their births and 
marriages in exact proportion to their deaths. In fact, the now 
ascertained facts, when looked at from a philosophical point of 
view, would seem to lead to the conclusion, that it was a law 



18 



of nature that the rapidity of the circulation of life in each country 
was dependent on the density of the population ; and that if the 
lamp of life burned out most quickly where the population was 
most dense, ample provision was made for keeping up the 
supply of life, seeing that in proportion to the density of the 
population, the ratio of both marriages and births was corres- 
pondingly increased." 

Without absolutely adopting a conclusion so peculiarly definite 
as that of the Eegistrar-General, with regard to the exactitude 
of the proportions of the various events of births, deaths, and 
marriages, we may illustrate the fact, of the highest proportion 
of each being exhibited in the largest towns, in a general way, 
by a reference to the events in question as developed in our 
own city during I860. 

In the ■ preceding, as well as the following calculations, there 
has been adopted the estimate of our population in the middle of 
1869, made by the Eegistrar-General, as 458,937, because it unfor- 
tunately happens that I require to be in the printer's hands some 
time before my own estimate, founded upon the ascertained number 
of inhabited dwelling-houses, can possibly be available. However, 
the difference in estimate cannot be a very important one, and 
taking the Registrar's figures as to population to be reasonably 
accurate, it thence follows that our birth-rate has been 40*29, 
and our death-rate 34-07 ; both remarkably high figures when we 
reflect that the average rate of the whole United Kingdom was, 
in the same year, 35"34 for the former, and 22"64 for the latter; 
but we must not lose sight of the fact that both of these last 
rates are applicable to the whole population of the Kingdom, 
in town and country combined, while we in Glasgow are in a 
very considerably exceptional position, as to both the one and 
the other, when we look to the density of our population, and 
apply the remarks contained in the preceding paragraph. 

On looking to the year 1867, which is the latest of which the 
details have yet been tabulated, and dividing Scotland into four 
great groups ; viz., of principal towns, with above 25,000 in- 
habitants each; of large towns, having 10,000 to 25,000; of 
small towns, of 3,000 to 10,000 inhabitants; and of rural 
districts, having among them, 1,423,621 ; while the town groups 
(already alluded to) have among them 1,747,138; we shall 



19 

find the birth-rate to stand in the following proportion, proceed- 
ing in the order just now indicated : — 41*18 in the principal 
towns, 39*16 in the large towns, 36*33 in the small towns and only 
31*75 in the rural districts. Similarly applying the death-rate, we 
shall find it to descend the same scale in the following proportions: — 
27*99; 24*91; 21*89; and in the rural districts, only 17 in the 
1,000 ; and so wondrously steady are these proportions, that, taking 
the considerable period of 10 years, from 1856 to 1865, which offers 
a more satisfactory field of observation than any single year 
can possibly do, the proportions are found to be : — 28*25 ; 24*57 ; 
21*24; and 16*95. 

Of the births in Glasgow during 1869, 9,418 were boys, and 
9,072 girls; while of the deaths, 7,840 were males, and 7,800 
females; thus the proportion in births of boys to girls was 103*8 
to 100, which is a lower proportion than is generally found to 
prevail in Scotland, and likewise in Europe generally, where the 
rate is almost exactly 104, and this last is a trifle lower than 
that of England, which is 104*4 to 100. 

We may now allude to the remarkably high proportion of mar- 
riages registered in Glasgow, which in the year 1869 amounted to 
4,221. This number represents a trifle beyond 9 in the 1,000 of 
population, the exact figures being 9*19, and thus verifies to a con- 
siderable extent, the estimated proportion for the principal towns 
already referred to, which is taken as 9*36 ; while that of the second 
class or large towns, is 7-92; of the small towns, 6 - 83 ; while 
in the rural districts it falls to 5*61. The marriages in Glasgow 
during 1869 exhibit an increase of fully 10J per cent, as com- 
pared with 1868, when they amounted to 3,814, but it is 
only fair to remark that this last represents the lowest number 
since 1863. 

It may be interesting, before leaving the last subject in 
hand, to bear in mind a simple circumstance, as illustrative 
of the minute details which frequently go to affect either a 
fact or an estimate. The closing day of the year, or in 
popular language, " Hogmanay," forms the favourite wedding 
time of the working classes, although Friday is their favourite 
clay, or rather evening for this ceremony, at almost all other 
periods of the year. Now, it is obvious that the marriages 
of the evening of the 31st December cannot possibly be re- 



20 



gistered until January of the succeeding year, and as it is the 
date of registration, not of the occurrence, that is tabulated, it 
follows that each year derives some credit, not exactly its 
own, in the shape of all the marriages celebrated upon that 
auspicious day ; and upon this occasion, those registered in the 
month of January amounted to the large number of 537 against 
511 in the January of the preceding year. It is only just, 
however,- to add that 1869 sustains a greater loss at its close 
than compensates its gain at the beginning, for as the year 
opened upon a Friday, so not being Leap year, it also closed 
upon a Friday; and the year 1870 thus adds to its statistics 
the whole of the marriages arising from the double event of the 
close of the year and the favourite Friday happening together. 
Thus, the registers of January, 1870, present the unprecedented 
number of 627 marriages in Glasgow ; and a very large propor- 
tion of these are recorded, as might be expected, in the very 
first week of the month. The marriage records of the year 
exhibit the invariable and certainly peculiar features noticeable 
in the history of our community year after year; the falling off 
in February after the excitement of the preceding month, whether 
belonging to itself or to the closing day of the bygone year; the 
comparative dulness of March and April ; the great diminution in 
May, arising from a deep-rooted prejudice ; the natural rebound in 
June ; the remarkable outburst at the Fair-holidays in July ; and 
again, the large accession of numbers in November, when the 
engagements of many domestic servants terminate, and their 
earnings become available for a start in life. As a matter of 
course, a similar result would become apparent in May, but for 
the action of the prejudice already alluded to, against that 
usually cheerful month. 

The number of marriages in a community has been regarded by 
some statists as affording a reliable indication of the condition or 
progress of commercial affairs. I am inclined to think that you will 
coincide with me in entertaining a doubt as to whether the 
increased number of marriages in 1869, tends to strengthen 
that view as one which furnishes a rule that is invariably to be 
depended upon. 

[The following mortality tables for 1851 to 1854 are referred 
to and explained in the opening paragraph of page 17.] 



21 



Estimated Total, 1851, 


Total for 9 Months,.... 
Add estimate for 3 do. 




December 


November 


October 


1 0 

I 

D 

-. 


> 

3 * 

0 


— 1 

3 

< 


D 




> 




OS 

to 


1— 1 Or 
cs 0 

CO tf^ 


CCOO-^I*»-00-tOCOI— 1 
COCnOrOSOTtOOCOCO 


Small-pox. 


05 

GO 


OS CO 

to 05 


^rfx^rfxOO^IOOSCO 
OOOStK— 'OSCOCDtO 


Measles. 


CO 


CO £ 

•<i to 


to >-i to ^ t~* 

(f^Olt^-COl— ' rf^ -<I OS CO 


Scarlatina. 


CO 

co 


1-1 Cn 
CO GO 
OS -<l 


CO-^OSOrf^COO-TCTtCO 
00*>-OS"<IOSCOrf^05CO 


Hooping 




1*- to 

CO CO 


tO tO >— ' 1— ' >— ' 
OSOSOSOSOSCOCOCOCO 


Croup. 


CO 
CO 


to OS 

►— ' CO 

to -J 


ososoootoosoorf^o 

CttOOOSCOOtOOOS^ 


Diarrhoea. 


tO 


to CO 

CO 


rf^fcOOOtOttnCOi— 'CO 


Influenza. 


co 

CO 


to 

co co 

CO CO 


OiCOCOtOlOtOtOCOCO 
COCOOS^JOSCOrf^OH- 


Typhus. 


to 
to 


Or OS 
OS CO 


tf* CO GO •<! I— ' OS CO 4^ OS 


Dropsy. 


1904 


-<i to 

OS CO 


OOtCOrf^-OSCrtCTiCTTOS 
•<! CO i— ' O O <i *■ CI H 


Phthisis. 


CO 

-J 

CO 


to 

CO oo 

CO O 


tOcotOrf^^COtOtOCO 
tOi— ' -<l © >— 'COOGOtO 


Hydrocephalus 


to 

GO 


CO CO 
tO OS 


1— 'i— 'OSi— 'Ot-'tOCO 


Apoplexy. 


OS 
to 


rf^ to 
0 to 


COOCOCOCSrf^COOrCO 


Dis. of Brain. 


to 
0 
-<l 


Or Or 
tO Oi 


ScSKrft^rft^oo j Dis. of Heart. 


co 
to 

If* 


to 

OO 4- 
t— 1 09 


COOOtO'-IOSCOOStOrf^ 


Bronchitis. 


OS 

to 


tf*. to 

0 to 


CT 1-1 i_i |_i 

OOrCOtf^-qtOOSCO-^ 


Asthma. 



22 



- 

H 
3 

§Q 

Q H 

S3 

og 

* o 

as 

£g 

as 
a o 
u o 



o „ 

» a 
^ a 

°3 
°g 

t— 4 ^ 

a <J 



s 

O 

Xtl 

a j 

Si 



•si^Tqonoig; 



•AX9]dody 



•AsdoJd 



i— lO}CO«©lQOOl>.<Mt-<N 
C CO o 



OOf-HOO<M<M>OOt-eOCO 

H CM I— ^ i~H i™H i— I 

OIOOOOO-— lOOON-"* 



•■eaoqxiBTQ; 



•dnojo 



3xndooj[ 



•mrp'EixBog 



•xod-xprag 



ci r-t © 



<M r-t i-H 



^ CO iO 



3 Si O 



J- 3 
3 



IBB 



23 











- 


r 


< 


•D 


K „ 

S5 h 

< 


> 

3 

t 

1; 


gj 

-t 

t 








to 

CO 

o> 


CO 




to 
to 


on 




to 


JO 


0 


to 

CO 


CO 
CO 


to 

OS 


Ox 


Small-pox. 


SI 


CO 








=~ 










CO 


CO 


OS 
CO 




^ 1 

°l 


CO 


OS 


-1 

OS 


Ot 


CO 


O 


OS 




*>■ 


Measles. 


co 

CO 


-a 


CO 

co 




o 

Or 


Or 
CO 


CO 
OS 


to 

CO 


CO 

to 


CO 


Ot 


CO 


OS 


Scarlatina. 


CO 
CO 


CO 


OS 
Or 


OS 

o 


CO 




Or 

co 


OS 
Ot 


CO 
Ol 


CO 

0 


0 
0 


CO 


OS 

CO 


Hooping 
Cough. 


l>0 

s 


co 

CO 


to 


CO 


CO 


-41 


CO 


to 


-1 




to 
to 


00 


to 

CO 


Croup. 


CO 
CO 


CO 


OS 


Or 


■SI 

Ox 


CO 




CO 


CO 


Or 

0 


0 


OS 
OS 


Or 


Diarrhoea. 


CO 


CO 






00 






to 


to 


*>. 


to 


CO 




Znrluenza. 


o 

co 


o 


Ox 


Ox 

o 


CO 

Oi 


co 


Ot 
£» 


On 
CO 


CO 

^1 


CO 


CO 

^1 


—J 
-J 


CO 

CO 


Typhus. 


CO 

«M 

CO 


to 

OS 


OT 

o 


to 

CO 


to 

CO 


CO 

to 


to 


to 

CD 


to 

OS 


to 


CO 
CO 


CO 




Dropsy. 


to 

CO 

o 


to 


CO 




Or 

to 


co 


to 

Or 


to 

CO 


to 

*- 

CO 


to 
0 


10 

en 
CO 


to 
to 

CO 


to 
0 

LO 


Phthisis. 


454 


to 
cs 


to 
o 


CO 

o 


CO 
CO 


CO 


to 


10 


CO 
Ot 




cs 

LO 


CO 


CO 


Hydrocephalus 


OS 


OS 


OS 


CO 


co 


to 




OS 


CO 


CO 


■<! 


to 


Ot 


Apoplexy. 


OS 

—J 


OS 


o 


OS 




CO 


co 


to 


^1 


OS 


Ot 


CO 


Or 


Dis« of Brstin* 


co 
o 

Ot 


CO 


to 

Ol 


to 


to 

Ox 


CO 

to 


to 

CO 




to 

Oi 


CO 

0 


to 


to 

CO 


to 


Dis. of Heart. 


Of 

CO 


CO 


CO 
CO 


to 
co 


to 


to 

CO 


CO 
OS 


to 

CO 


CO 


Ox 

to 


CO 
LO 


Ox 
CO 


Or 

CO 


Bronchitis. 


to 

Ot 
00 


CO 

o 


Ox 




I—" 

CO 


OS 


CO 


Or. 




to 

Ox 


CO 


rt^ 


CO 
CO 


Asthma. 


Ot 


1 - 








to 




to 












Choleea. 



W 

O 

w 

> 

M 

H 



3 ° 

o a 

3 H 

>l 

O H 

H 

s § 

H 3 

tr 1 

So 

M 



24 



1Q 

O CO CO 
<M *0 i-h 



O CM 

cm 



■ijxBaHJo -sic: 



•j£x9{dody 



>— I r- I <N r-l 



o © o 



S H W 



CO CO CO 



iO i— I o 
Oi CO (M 
1-1 CM CM 



«5 (N iO 



CM CO -—i 



i— I O CO CNI 

<M CM CM 

CM 



"BZUdU^UJ 



id O CM CM CO 



CO CO U5 CO 



"B30qXI-BT(J 



•dnojQ 



••qSnoo 
suidoojj 



•sexs-Baj^r 



•xod-flwig 



25 



Having already mentioned the total amount of births during the 
year, and estimated their ratio to the population, I beg to exhibit 
the following details of their sequence, and other requisite par- 
ticulars for each month of the year. 



In January, . . 1530, of which 763 were males, and 767 females. 



February, 


. 1401 


5J 


634 


>} 


717 


5> 


March, . 


. 1715 


J> 


865 


»> 


850 


>> 


April, . . 


. 1704 


)J 


848 


?» 


856 


>> 


May, . . 


. 1547 


3> 


802 


j> 


745 


>> 


June, . . 


. 1615 


>> 


819 


>» 


796 


» 


July, . . 


. 1583 


J> 


823 


>> 


760 




August, 


. 1462 


5> 


730 




732 




September, 


. 1408 


JJ 


722 


» 


686 


» 


October, . 


. 1483 


>J 


769 


» 


714 




November, 


. 1504 


5> 


831 




673 


JJ 


December, 


. 1538 


J» 


762 


J> 


776 


>> 




18,490 




9,418 




9,072 





As usual, the male births preponderate over those of females; 
and likewise, as usual, the second quarter of the year exhibits 
a preponderance of births over any other trimestrial period, the 
sequence being: — 

The First three months, . . . . 4,646 

Second „ „ . . . 4,866 

Third „„..... 4,453 

Fourth „ „ . . . . 4,525 

But, as if to vindicate the year's claim to be regarded, as in many 
matters, an exceptional one, the usual preponderance of births 
in April or May over any other month, which, however, in 1868 had 
been transferred to June, is, in 1869, handed back to March, for it 
alone records 1,715 births, while the monthly average of the year 
is 1,541. ~No doubt April almost maintains its usual place, still 
it is nine births behind upon this occasion. It is not among our 
own population only that the usual preponderance of the second 
quarter of the year is experienced, but it is a general feature of 



26 



our country; while in many of the Continental nations February 
and March, are generally observed to be the most prolific months. 

We have likewise glanced in the preceding pages at the number 
as well as the ratio of deaths during 1869, and enumerated the 
amount of mortality arising from the diseases which have proved 
most fatal. On a later page there will be found a table which ex- 
hibits the mortality found to have arisen from twenty-six of the 
leading causes of death, not only for 1869, but for each of the 
eight preceding years, together with a column appended which 
shows the average fatality of each, during the whole nine years 
included in the table. That table gives the causes of death in 
above 12,000 instances, but having already made reference to 
the leading diseases and their fatality, I need not revert to the 
subject; yet I may allude to another peculiar feature of the 
past year, — in the number of deaths from drowning. These 
have amounted to the extraordinary and unprecedented num- 
ber of 80, while the average of the nine years has been 
62 ; indeed, so singularly uniform has been the fatality of 
what one would suppose to be a remarkably exceptional cause 
of death within a city, that, of the nine years, three exhibited 
the exact number of 57 each; and the average number of the 
eight years preceding 1869 was 59. Additional tables will also 
be found giving the monthly sequence of mortality arising from 
almost the whole of these diseases throughout the year, defining at 
the same time the particular ages of the sufferers, arranged with 
regard to four divisions of life. Other tables are likewise given 
exhibiting similar information, but grouped in the seventeen great 
classes adopted by the Eegistrar-General, for each month and for 
the four periods of life already alluded to ; and farther, a table is 
given exhibiting a comparative view of the results of these great 
classes for the considerable period which extends over the last 
nine years. 

An examination of these tables will supply the reader who 
takes an interest in the subject with a very considerable amount 
of peculiar information, and I trust that their value will be found 
commensurate with the labour of their compilation. For the 
particulars from which they are compiled, and which they here 
arrange, condense, and exhibit, I am, of course, indebted to the 
Eegistrar-General, and also to the politeness of our local Eegis- 



27 



trars. A summary of the mortality of 1869 for each month, 
distinguishing ages and sexes, is shown in the following tables, 
but the tabulated details, will, as already stated, be found exhibited 
upon various succeeding pages. 





Males. 


Females. 


Total. 


0to 5 
Years. 


5 to 20. 


20 to 60. 


60 and 
upwards. 


J anuary, . 


uoo 




J. } oou 


UO f 


X\J\J 




1 7R 

I/O 


February, . 


, 675 


648 


1,323 


696 


107 


369 


151 


March, 


, 893 


875 


1,768 


890 


198 


476 


204 


April, . . 


745 


730 


1,475 


708 


171 


420 


176 


May, . . 


701 


686 


1,387 


682 


142 


417 


146 


June, . . 


657 


652 


1,309 


602 


170 


386 


151 


July, . . 


639 


582 


1,221 


605 


154 


345 


117 


August, 


495 


518 


1,013 


468 


116 


321 


108 


September, 


443 


472 


915 


400 


122 


297 


96 


October, . 


502 


478 


980 


472 


125 


261 


122 


November, 


645 


668 


1,313 


604 


129 


403 


177 


December, 


757 


783 


1,540 


725 


128 


450 


237 




7,840 


7,800 


15,640 


7,539 


1,728 


4,510 


1,863 



Here it will be observed that there is a slight preponderance 
of male over female mortality, which is almost invariably the 
case in Glasgow. As a general rule, however, taking the whole 
of Scotland into view, the preponderance is upon the other 
side ; for in the whole period of thirteen years, from 1855 to 
1867, both inclusive, it only happened once, — viz., in 1856, that 
the male deaths were in a majority; and this was found to be 
the case in that year, both in the rural and in the town 
districts. As a general rule, however, the female deaths ex- 
ceed those of the males, not only in the rural districts of 
Scotland, but in the kingdom as a whole ; while in the town 
districts the proportions fluctuate, for in the thirteen years in 
question, the female deaths were nine times in the ascendant, 
and in four, the male deaths occupied that position ; and yet, 
during that long period, which included 408,355 deaths in the 
town districts, the preponderance of female deaths in so large a 
number only amounted to 1,877. On the other hand, in the 



28 



rural districts (excluding the Islands, and these present similar 
results), which exhibit a total during the period in question of 
420,435, or not greatly more than that of the town districts, 
the female preponderance was 2,743. 

The following details of the mortality of the sexes in Scot- 
land during the decennary extending from 1856 to 1865 will 
be found interesting. It follows the classification already alluded 
to upon page 18. 





Population in 1861. 


Male Deaths 


Female Deaths 


Divisions. 


Males. 


Females. 


in 10 years. 


in 10 years. 


Principal Towns, 


407,839 


477,116 


124,631 


125,363 


Large Towns, 


119,602 


134,428 


30,981 


31,438 


Small Towns, 


239,074 


265,223 


53,307 


53,826 


Rural Districts, 


683,333 


735,679 


119,186 


121,450 




1,449,848 1 


,612,446 


328,105 


332,077 


It will thus be 


observed that 


in every one 


of these 


divisions, as 



well as in each aggregate, the female element preponderates, not 
only in the numbers alive but in the numbers who die. But 
looking to the prodigious disparity in the proportions of the two 
sexes, with respect to life and with respect to death — reflecting 
that while the living females are here shown to exceed the 
living males by fully 11 per cent, (the precise fractions are not 
here requisite), and the mortality of the females only exceeds that 
of the males by one and one-fifth of a single per cent — it follows, 
as a necessary consequence, that male life must be terribly more 
subject to fatalities than female life is. 

The following figures indicate the respective rates of mortality 
during the same ten years, arranged according to the divisions 
already given. Of course, it must be borne in mind that these 
rates are not applicable to the whole population, but that the 
calculations as to male deaths are applicable to the male popu- 
lation only, and the female deaths to the female population only. 
The combined rate of the mortality of the two sexes is, however, 
separately exhibited. 



29 



Per Centage of Per Centage of Total 

Male Deaths. Female Deaths. Per Centage. 

Principal Towns, . . 3-056 2-627 2-825 

Large Towns, . . . 2-903 2-338 2-457 

Small Towns, . . . 2-233 2-029 2-124 



Total Town Districts, . 2-725 2-402 2-553 

Rural Districts, . . 1-744 1-651 1-695 



All Scotland, . . 2-263 2-059, 2-156 



A very cursory glance at this table indicates very forcibly how 
highly artificial, in fact, how entirely abnormal, is the human 
life which is spent among the masses of individuals who constitute 
towns. 

As a matter of course, by removing the decimal point a single 
place to the right, we shall ascertain the mortality per 1,000, 
that being the ratio now most usually quoted with respect to vital 
statistics, and we then find that, while in the great towns of 
Scotland the mortality during an average of these ten re- 
corded years was found to be 28 - 25 in the 1,000, it fell in the next 
class of towns to 24-57 ; in the small towns to 21*24; and in the 
rural districts, which embrace nearly one-half of the entire popu-/ ^^^/^^ 
lation, it was so low as 16*95, or a fraction under 17 in the 1,000. ^^^-^ < 
I may add that the Begisjraj^(^ opinion 
that a figure something like this last given is the natural and 
proper ratio for Great Britain, and that any advance upon it is 
attributable to causes which men have it within tlieir^own^jpojw^ 
to obviate. I fear that it will require a good deal of education 
to be bestowed upon our own community before a consummation <z*r , ^~*j6^jT 
so desirable is accomplished. A&**Xjo *J<J 

The number and relative proportions of the marriages celebrated 7 ^^^ 




during 1869, as well as the peculiarities which mark their period- 
ical fluctuations, have been already noticed upon preceding P a ^ es )x^Lw^^Ci^ 
and I now beg to exhibit their monthly sequence during the /u^^J^C 
year, thus :— ^^y ^ 



30 



January, . . 


. . 537 


August, . . . . 


240 


February, . . 


. . 223 


September, . . . . 


271 




. . 250 


October, . . . . 


288 




. . 273 


November, . . . . 


442 


May,. . . . 


. . 215 


December, . . . . 


331 




. . 551 


Total, . . . . 


4221 




. . 600 


Average per Month, 


351f 



A glance at these figures will sufficiently verify the remarks 
offered upon the subject of the regularity of the recurrence of 
the periodical fluctuations of marriage referred to upon page 20. 

I beg therefore to dismiss the subject with a table exhibiting 
the marriages of every month in Glasgow during the last nine 
years. An examination of the details will farther verify the 
undeviating existence of the peculiarities already discussed, while 
it furnishes a very extended field for observation. 



MARRIAGES DURING EACH MONTH OF THE NINE YEARS, 1861-69. 





1869 


1868 


1867 


1868 


1865 


1864 


1863 


1862 


1861 


Jan., 


537 


511 


524 


566 


548 


524 


482 


410 


390 


Feb., 


223 


223 


227 


267 


250 


239 


240 


194 


199 


Mar., 


250 


231 


237 


223 


229 


222 


252 


232 


209 


April, 


273 


228 


259 


308 


198 


284 


246 


202 


239 


May, 


215 


144 


169 


206 


221 


204 


171 


145 


164 


J une, 


551 


473 


493 


557 


528 


454 


460 


451 


406 


July, 


600 


530 


536 


532 


559 


510 


512 


481 


466 


Aug., 


240 


253 


237 


258 


238 


254 


200 


220 


194 


Sep., 


271 


253 


271 


303 


256 


272 


231 


254 


262 


Oct., 


288 


257 


257 


315 


322 


287 


312 


258 


264 


Nov., 


442 


396 


385 


421 


439 


379 


407 


305 


354 


Dec, 


331 


315 


327 


360 


380 


350 


312 


305 


333 




4221 


3814 


3922 


4316 


4168 


3979 


3825 


3457 


3480 



31 



THE INFANTILE MORTALITY OF 1869. 

As usual I devote a brief but separate paragraph to the infantile 
mortality of the past year. That of 1869 will be observed, by a refer- a/ ' y 
| ence to the table given upon page 27, to have amounted to 48 -Wtr'hf***^^ 
\ per cent, of the whole ; yet, unsatisfactory as this rate is, it really ^^^^^ ^h. 
falls by nearly 2 per cent, under that of the preceding year. The fol- ^ ^^^^ 
lowing table exhibits in detail, the infant deaths as they occurred ^-^^y^S^ 
in each registration district of the citv, together with a comparative ^ j > . . 
statement of the proportion of these deaths to the whole deaths in ^J^^ 
each district. It will be found to range from 56*81 in the Clyde ^ 
district, down to 38*48 in the Central district, and few readers w ^^^^£^r 
be prepared for another of those peculiarities so continually pre- ./ r 
senting themselves, — that while the aggregate amount of deaths ^^^^ 
in the Central and High Church districts is in each very much 
greater than in any other district of the city, the ratio of infantile . , 

mortality is likewise in each, the lowest of them all. The number ^*^^T*~*^ 
of infantile deaths will be noticed to vary by a trifle from that^T-^, 
given upon page 27, but some discrepancy is almost inevitable, ff*^—' 
arising from the different modes of ascertaining the particulars, and''^'^ 
it is scarcely to be obviated, without devoting more time and labour 
to their absolute verification than is requisite for the purposes in 
view. These slight differences cause this table to exhibit 47 J per 
cent, as the ratio, which in reality presents a variation of, as nearly 
as may be, only three quarters per cent, from the result shown 
by the other table. This last, however, I regard as the more 
reliable of the two with respect to aggregate, — but the details 
given upon the succeeding page are of considerable interest with 
respect to this particular subject. 



[The InfantileJ 



32 



THE INFANTILE MORTALITY OF 1869 ARRANGED IN 
REGISTRATION DISTRICTS. 



Registration 
Districts. 


Under 
1 Year. 


1 Tear 
and 
under 2. 


2 Years 

and 
under 5. 


Total 
Deaths 
under 5. 


Total 

Deaths at all 
Ages in each. 
District. 


Proportion 
under 5 to 
the whole 
Deaths in 
the District. 














per cent. 




493 


229 


238 


970 ! 


o tan 


o8'48 


High Church, 


412 


271 


299 


982 


2,593 


ov la 






SoO 


97R 
D 


Oft X 


l,pUU 


OO UJ. 


Calton 


298 


197 


213 


708 


1,294 


54-71 


Clyde, 


256 


152 


159 


567 


998 


56-81 




148 


79 


69 


296 


735 


40-27 




320 


142 


179 


641 


1,217 


52-61 




345 


218 


206 


769 


1,422 


54-08 




306 


188 


98 


592 


1,440 


41-11 


Hutchesontown,.. 


388 


269 


282 


939 


1,707 


55-00 




3,360 | 2,050 


2,019 
/ -y, 


I, 7 ' 4 - 9 


15,611 


47-48 



THE HIGH MORTALITY OF 1869. 

In many of the preceding pages this topic has been adverted 
to in detail, hut before finally leaving the Vital Statistics of 
the city, allow me to revert to it briefly. 

The very high and exceptional mortality of the year has 
naturally attracted a very large amount of interested attention to 
the subject, and many theories have been suggested and much 
valuable discussion elicited. Xo universally accepted explanation 
has, however, yet been propounded, and it is obvious that still 
farther observation, discussion, and induction will be required 
before we arrive at a solution of the momentous question. The 
pollution of the river — the filthy condition and improvident habits 
of a portion of the population — intemperance — the excessive issue 
of smoke — the depression in trade — the faulty nature of the 
architecture of the older portions of the city — the overcrowding 
long noticed, but more recently aggravated through the re- 
moval of many tenements — and the tenacity with which the 
people ejected cling to certain localities; all these, and others, as 



33 



well as the effects of atmospheric influences, have each had their 
supporters ; but I fear that we must regard them as all combined 
in a greater or less degree, but especially with the last-named 
element, to produce the effect in question. We must bear in 
mind too, that similar causes are always more or less at work 
among us, and that the rate of our city mortality is not steadily 
progressive, but wandering, uncertain, and spasmodic. In illus- 
tration of this, let me remind you that while the mortality 
of 1861, 2, and 3, advanced somewhat steadily, that of 1864 
and 1865 was little else than stationary ; again, in both 1866 and 
1867, it actually fell considerably under that of any one of the 
three preceding years; then 1868 rose to be equal to 1865; and, 
lastly, as we well know, 1869 made a sudden and fatal bound. 
It is impossible thus early to form any estimate of 1870, but 
it is gratifying to find that the aggregate mortality of the first 
three months ranges even seven per cent, under that of the cor- 
responding three months of 1869, while March taken by itself is 
greatly more favourable. 

The majority of opinions upon the subject of the increased mor- 
tality that has been experienced during last year seems to lay the 
leading stress upon overcrowding and its consequences, and doubt- 
less much of the evil, but not all, is attributable to this important 
cause. It is one, nevertheless, extremely difficult to grapple with, 
for it is singular with what tenacity the humbler class of our fel- 
low citizens cling to localities. The destruction of their houses 
and the natural yearning for fresh air and open prospects are all 
overbalanced by this strange infatuation for herding together in 
communities. I shall offer four illustrations of this fact, and for 
this purpose I select them from one of the most densely populated 
portions of the city, which at the same time is marked by the pecu- 
liarity of having been the chief theatre of the operations of the 
Union Eailway Company, and of the City Improvement Trustees ; 
and the following is a statement of the number of families found 
in these respective blocks towards the end of the spring in each 
of the last four years. 

The first is that bounded by Saltmarket on the west, South 
St. Mungo Street on the east, Greendyke Street or the Green 
on the south, and by the Gallowgate on the north. Well 
then, the number of families, for I have no means of par- 



34 



ticularizing the individuals, stood thus : — 1866, 2,015 ; 1867, 
1,983; 1868, 1,936; 1869, 2,020; and yet you all know how 
much property to the east of, and parallel with Saltmarket has 
been removed during the period. 

The next block is that bounded by Candleriggs on the west, 
High Street on the east, Cannon Street and continuous lane on 
the north, and Trongate on the south, — and how stands it here? 
The sequence of numbers is, 1,2-92, 1,295, 1,286, and 1,289. 

The third block I shall advert to is the large and dense one 
bounded by Trongate on the north, East Clyde Street on the 
south, Stockwell on the west, and Saltmarket on the east, and 
here you know the Union Eailway makes a diagonal sweep through 
the entire block. The numbers were found to be in the same 
sequence, 3,300, 2,995, 3,025, and 3,001. 

The last block I allude to is the considerable and squalid one 
bounded by High Street on the west, Hunter Street on the east, 
Old Vennel and Graham Street on the north, and Gallowgate on 
the south, and here also you are aware the Union Eailway strikes 
diagonally through the entire space. The numbers were found 
to be, 1,677, 1,689, 1,674, and 1,676. 

Thus these four blocks which I have divided, although forming 
one connected area, have been found to contain in all — in 1866, 
8,284; in 1867, 7,962; in 1868, 7,920; and in 1869, 7,986; 
or a difference of almost exactly 300 families. I should add that 
these 8,000 families are located upon a gross area — including 
railways and clear space — of as nearly as possible 90 acres ; 
thus giving (if we adopt the family number as five), a popula- 
tion of 440 individuals to the acre over the whole space. 

Now, these are startling facts, for I hold them to be facts, 
since I have verified them from the books of the Water Com- 
missioners ; and each individual figure given represents one 
family assessed for water, — in short, each figure represents an 
inhabited house. It is possible that in the earlier years of the 
period the number of empty houses may have been considerable, 
and that they have since become occupied, but still the fact 
remains, that in an area whose available uses are very greatly 
circumscribed, the population has remained until last year almost 
unaffected by the changes going on around. I fear that this 
continued amount of population arises from the sub-division of 



35 



holdings, and that dwelling-houses, which at one time consisted 
of two or more apartments, now accommodate a greater num- 
ber of families than before. It is quite aside from the subject 
to complain of single apartments being each occupied by a family, 
for such has always been the case, and apparently will continue 
to be the case, much as it is to be regretted. The chief evil 
arises when a dwelling-house becomes subdivided into single 
apartments, each entering through its neighbour, in place of each 
opening only upon a well-ventilated staircase or corridor. Some 
readers may not be prepared to learn that at the census of 1861, 
more than 28,000 houses in Glasgow were found to consist of 
but a single apartment, and above 32,000 to consist of two; so 
that of the whole 82,000 families composing the city, upwards of 
60,000 were housed in dwellings of one and two apartments each. 

Let us make an attempt to ascertain the sanitary relations of this 
area. Well then, without going into details very minutely, and re- 
garding this rather as a general statement, we shall arrive at the 
following general data as to the year 1869. The population was as 
nearly as may be x^^ 1 °^ tne whole city ; the mortality from all 
causes was about yg-th of the whole ; and the mortality from certain 
diseases, as compared with the total mortality from the same 
diseases, stands approximately as follows : — Scarlet fever, j^th ; 
hooping-cough, -/^th ; consumption,^-yth ; diarrhoea, §-th ; measles 
and typhus fever, each from yth to -g-thj and bronchitis and 
diseases of the respiratory organs, -J-th. 

On referring to Dr. Gardiner's Sanitary Map of the city, which 
he divides for professional and official purposes into 54 districts, I 
find that the area which I have here selected includes his 4 dis- 
tricts 21 to 24, 2 districts 30 and 31, about two-thirds each of 29 
and 32, and about one-eighth of No. 20. In 1861 this area of 90 
acres contained a population of 41,000, or between one-ninth and 
one-tenth of the population of the city, so that the entire popula- 
tion, if arranged with a similar density, might have been crowded 
upon less than 860, in place of the 5,034 acres included within the 
the municipal boundaries. Looking to the uniformity of tenure 
exhibited in this comparison of four years, we may regard the 
population of the area in question to have been still in the proximity 
of 40,000 as already stated, although it is reduced now. 

This calculation exhibits only the population found to be actually 



36 

resident upon a particular spot of ground, but of course it is an ex- 
ceptional instance. Still, if we exclude JLiverpool, Glasgow is, as a 
whole, the mos,t^c^oj>dyj3^ In Glasgow, 

the aggregate population upon an acre is 92 J; in Liverpool, 101*3 ; 
and in Manchester, 83-6 ; and yet we all know how large are the 
spaces of unbuilt ground around us although within the city boun- 
daries, especially to the north-east; but all is being gradually covered 
over. Of the 19 largest towns in Great Britain, with the addition 
of Dublin for comparison, the average density of the population is 
33*6 to the acre. I ought, however, not to omit to mention that 
this average is considerably red^ed^bv__^hf^^ 

within the^Jxyrou^ which reduce their 

densities to 12* and lO'S per acre respectively. Indeed, so con- 
siderable is their influence, that were these two struck out of the 
list, the remaining 18 cities and boroughs would exhibit a density 
of almost precisely 39 J. The following is a list of these 20 cities 
and boroughs arranged according to the rotation of density : — 







Estimated Population 




Cities and Boroughs. 


Area in Acres. 


in the middle of 1870. 


Persons per 


Liverpool, 


5,108 


517,567 


101-3 


Glasgow,* 


5,063 


468,189 


925 


Manchester, 


4,486 


374,993 


836 


Birmingham, . 


7,831 


369,604 


47-2 


Nottingham, . 


1,996 


88,888 


44-5 


London, 


77,997 


3,214,707 


41-2 


Edinburgh, 


4,427 


178,970 


40-4 


Hull, . 


3,562 


130,869 


36-7 


Bristol, . 


4,688 


171,382 


36-6 


Dublin, . 


9,745 


321,540 


33-0 


Leicester, 


3,200 


97,427 


30-4 


Newcastle-on-Tyne, 


5,336 


133,367 


25- 


Salford, . 


5,172 


121,580 


23-5 


Bradford, 


6,590 


143,197 


21-7 


Wolverhampton, 


3,387 


72,990 


21-5 


Sunderland, 


4,821 


94,257 


l c J-6 


Portsmouth, . 


9,513 


122,084 


12-8 


Leeds, . 


21,572 . 


259,527 


12- 


Norwich, 


7,472 


81,087 


10-9 


Sheffield, 


22,830 


247,378 


108 


Total, . 


214,796 


7,209,603 


33-6 



* A detailed statement of the areas of the various parishes, which are included 
■within the municipal boundary of Glasgow, will be found upon a succeeding page. 
It varies to no great extent from the Government area given here, but in reality 
it extends to 5034*538 acres. 



37 



In connexion with this subject, allow me to add, that a few 
years ago, Dr. Littlejohn, the Health Officer of Edinburgh, being 
desirous to ascertain, if possible, the relative bearings of over- 
crowding and mortality, divided that city into 20 districts, one 
of them being, however, of a "landward" class, and after deduct- 
ing the area of all unoccupied spaces of ground, endeavoured to 
ascertain, in each of the remaining 19, the proportion of popula- 
tion to each inhabited area, in other words — its density. He then 
ascertained the amount of mortality in each, and after calculating 
the death rate in each of these areas, prepared a table exhibiting 
these two important data. I have taken the liberty of recasting 
that table with the view of placing it more tellingly than in the 
original form, and in so doing, have adopted the death rate, not 
the population, as the guide of sequence ; beginning with the 
highest on the list. The first and second columns accordingly 
exhibit the districts arranged according to the order of mortality, 
but the last, which is added by me, exhibits the same districts 
numbered in the order of the density of the population. The 
variation in the two scales will be found to be somewhat con- 
flicting and remarkable. 

Number of Mortality per Persons No. of same District 
Locality. District in rotation 1000 of residing on in the rotation 

of Mortality. Population. each Acre. of Density. 

George Square & Lauris- 
ton (including City 
Poorhouse and two 



Hospitals), . . 


1 


37-46 


74- 


12 




2 


36-65 


46-6 


14 


Tron, 


3 


34-55 


352-6 


1 


Grassmarket, . . 


4 


32-52 


237-6 


3 


West-End, . . . . 


5 


31-88 


44-2 


15 


Canongate, . . . 


6 


31-23 


219-8 


5 


Nicholson Street, . . 


7 


29- 


286- 


2 


St. Giles, . . . 


' 8 


28-8 


234-8 


4 


Pleasance & St. Leonar 


ds, 9 


26.65 


150- 


6 


Fountainbridge, . . 


10 


25-2 


114-8 


: 9 


Morningsicle, . . . 


11 


22-54 


8-1 


19 


Calton & Green side, 


12 


22-12 


120-7 


8 


Newington, . . . , 


13 


21-79 


39-9 


16 


Upper Water of Leith, 


14 


19-46 


88v 


11 


Brought on, . . . 


15 


17-63 


48-9 


13 


Lower Water of Leith 


16 


17-58 


31-1 


17 


Upper Newtown, . 


17 


17-38 


94-8 


10 


Lower Newtown, . 


18 


15-47 


126-3 


7 


Grange, .... 


19 


13-78 


15-9 


18 



F 



33 



It would be difficult to compare two scales having so little 
apparent connection with each other as the first and last 
exhibited upon the table which closed the preceding page. 
Indeed, it seems impossible to draw a reasonable deduction of 
any value from them, or to attempt to reconcile them, and 
I think that most of my readers will agree with me in opinion 
that the reasonable inference to be drawn both from the Glasgow 
and from- the Edinburgh tables, is tha t mere overcrowding is not 
of itself, however deplorable, an entirely reliable measure of the 
death rate, but that there must be other disturbing elements at 
work, and possibly at war, and so neutralizing each other, to be 
taken into account ; — the elements possibly of the variations of 
the human constitution, — of the soil, — of the sewage, — of venti- 
lation, — of the supplies of light, and water, — and I am sorry to 
place prominently, the very greatly enhanced cost of animal food, — 
all infinitely commingled. We may well therefore be pardoned 
for avoiding authoritative conclusions, and feel that we are still 
only learning — only groping. Every statistical truth, however, — 
every tabular exhibition of ascertained facts, — is adding its con- 
tribution to the great receptacles of knowledge, and lends its 
aid, however humble, towards solving the momentous problem 
upon which we are all engaged. 



For a series of Comprehensive Tables bearing upon many of 
the topics already alluded to, I beg to refer to the opposite, and 
several immediately following pages. 



[Summary] 



39 



SUMMARY OF VITAL STATISTICS. 

In order to illustrate many details of the various interesting 
topics connected with the Vital Statistics of our city, which have 
been adverted to in the preceding pages, I have, as usual, pre- 
pared, and now beg to submit, the following series of Compre- 
hensive Tables. They occupy the ten succeeding pages, and 
will be found upon examination to supply much information, not 
only interesting and instructive at the present moment, but 
supplying valuable facts for future reference in connection with 
matters which cannot but possess an abiding interest. Being 
prepared in the same form from year to year, they likewise 
furnish valuable means of comparison. 

Upon Page 

1. A Weekly Statement of the Births, Deaths, 

Marriages, Temperature, and Rainfall in Glas- 
gow during 1869, 40 

2. Table of the Mortality in Glasgow from Twenty- 

six Leading Causes of Death in each Year, from 

1861 to 1869, both inclusive, . . . . 41 

3. Table of the Chief Causes of Death at four periods 

of Life, Registered in Glasgow in each Month of 
1869, . . . . . 42-43 

4. Table of all the Causes of Death Registered in 

Glasgow in each month of 1869, at four periods 

of Life, grouped in Classes, .... 44-45 

5. A Comprehensive Summary of the Births, Deaths, 

and Marriages Registered in Glasgow in each 
District and in each Month of 1869, . . 46-47 

6. A Summary of the Causes of Death Registered in 

Glasgow in 1869, at four periods of Life and 
grouped in Classes, with a Comparative Summary 
for Eight preceding years, . . . . 48-49 



40 



WEEKLY STATEMENT OP THE BIRTHS, DEATHS, MARRIAGES, 
TEMPERATURE, AND RAINFALL, WITHIN THE MUNICIPALITY 
OF GLASGOW, DURING THE YEAR 1869. 







Births. 




Marri- 
ages. 


Temperature. 


Rainfall 


Week Ending. 


Deaths. 








in inches. 












Highest. 


Lowest. 


Mean. 




January .. 


. 9, 


430 


306 


267 


51-6 


37-3 


43-1 


0-550 




16 


346 


306 


53 


48-6 


36-3 


42-4 


0-880 




?3, 


342 


333 


37 


50-2 


30-5 


41-1 


1-240 




30, 


361 


373 


51 


52-1 


28-6 


40-1 


1-110 


February. 


• 6, 


372 


326 


62 


55-7 


31-9 


45-1 


0-880 




13, 


334 


336 


65 


52-8 


35-4 


44-1 


2-900 




20, 


344 


309 


50 


53-6 


36-7 


44-2 


0-049 




27, 


351 


352 


46 


57-5 


31-6 


42-7 


1 -820 


March 


6, 


347 


327 


55 


47'2 


27-4 


35-6 


1-020 




13, 


391 


389 


53 


45-2 


28-6 


36-6 


0-100 




20, 


351 


410 


47 


49-9 


30-5 


38-9 


0-150 




27, 


374 


403 


53 


53-4 


28-7 


40-3 


0-090 


April 


3, 


391 


407 


64 


50-9 


26-5 


40-0 


0-400 


" 


10, 


352 


329 


46 


55-0 


28-8 


42-9 


0-560 




17, 


449 


383 


54 


69-6 


383 


52-5 


0-200 




24, 


398 


329 


67 


59-0 


35-2 


48-3 


0-390 


May 


. 1, 


399 


296 


96 


72-2 


37-3 


51-8 


0-000 




8, 


342 


315 


90 


54-7 


32-3 


43-4 


0-610 




.15, 


369 


334 


28 


60-4 


30-5 


45-1 


0-070 




.22, 


369 


314 


40 


59-8 


36-5 


47-9 


0-150 




29, 


333 


306 


30 


59-2 


32-0 


46-0 


0-150 




. 5, 


398 


343 


118 


63-3 


34-5 


50-3 


0-650 




.12, 


347 


327 


169 


65-8 


38-5 


54-0 


0-350 




19, 


361 


299 


140 


64-3 


39-6 


50-4 


1-130 


26, 


395 


313 


81 


73-3 


46-6 


59-7 


0-020 


July 


3, 


374 


267 


86 
64 


74-8 


467 


60-1 


o-ooo 




■ 10, 


330 


265 


71-7 


50-9 


60-1 


0-810 




17, 


312 


236 


101 


81-0 


47-3 


60-8 


0-080 




24, 


442 


309 


349 


77-9 


48-2 


62-7 


1-000 




.31, 


337 


285 


58 


71-7 


43-3 


58-6 


0-740 




• 7, 


347 


257 


53 


67-1 


45-7 


54-3 


0-700 




• 14, 


322 


223 


51 


64-3 


43-9 


55-4 


0-310 




21, 


312 


201 


48 


71-1 


377 


57-3 


o-oio 




.28, 


308 


226 


63 


77-7 


47-6 


62-1 


0-010 


September 4, 


361 


228 


50 


67-5 


33-4 


51-2 


0-020 




11, 


304 


234 


57 


68-6 


49*7 


58-4 


0-800 




18, 


317 


216 


56 


62-5 


40-9 


53-8 


1-680 




25, 


352 


180 


69 


62-9 


43-6 


53-7 


1-840 


October... 


2, 


322 


217 


75 


63-9 


44-6 


53-7 


2-020 




9, 


318 


217 


69 


670 


44-6 


55-3 


0 080 


16, 


374 


211 


73 


683 


36-6 


51-3 


0-800 




23, 


354 


263 


69 


563 


29-8 


43-9 


0-160 


30, 


359 


236 


58 


55-6 


28-5 


40-5 


0-300 


November. 6, 


338 


258 


109 


54-8 


33-8 


45-2 


1-470 




13, 


310 


289 


73 


50-0 


24-4 


39-5 


2-370 




20, 


326 


320 


97 


56-2 


32-6 


46-4 


0-530 




27, 


377 


308 


96 


48-4 


23-7 


36-3 


0-990 


December. 4, 


327 


317 


110 


39-8 


19-7 


30-7 


0 040 




11, 


334 


378 


66 


48-3 


24-0 


35-5 


1-470 




18, 


355 


351 


75 


53-6 


31-5 


39-9 


2-320 




25, 


332 


316 


56 


45-2 


22-7 


35-4 


0-480 


January... 


1, 


333 


328 


95 


47-2 


13-0 


33-7 


1-740 



41 



THE MORTALITY IN GLASGOW DURING THE LAST NINE YEARS 
FROM TWENTY-SIX OP THE LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH. 

(Arranged according to the Average extent of the Mortality.) 



Causes of Death. 


1861. 


1862. 


1863. 


1864. 


1865. 


1866. 


1867. 


1868. 


1869. 


Ave- 
rage 
of 9 
Years. 




1,451 


1,553 


1,503 


1,775 


1,778 


1,839 


1,966 


1,915 


2,545 


1,817 




1,586 


1,670 


1,588 


1,767 


1,770 


1,720 


1,722 


1,795 


1,822 


1,716 




475 


533 


671 


1,138 


1,177 


596 


497 


338 


948 


708 


Hooping-Cough, 


842 


681 


575 


571 


879 


432 


331 


945 


719 


664 




102 


112 


1,203 


582 


513 


422 


484 


916 


895 


581 




547 


465 


608 


631 


581 


602 


520 


517 


738 


579 


Old Age, 


415 


472 


412 


451 


402 


434 


433 


399 


446 


429 


Hydrocephalus, . 


339 


379 


442 


454 


468 


431 


460 


417 


456 


427 


Disease of Heart 


336 


401 


399 


418 


453 


443 


466 


310 


414 


405 




150 


275 


419 


432 


330 


333 


388 


365 


654 


372 




182 


205 


211 


239 


389 


291 


309 


454 


292 


285 


Teething, 


292 


308 


295 


299 


267 


263 


227 


262 


257 


274 




162 


189 


210 


199 


251 


257 


235 


243 


287 


226 




200 


190 


204 


216 


193 


144 


213 


220 


213 


199 


Tabes Mesenteri. 


187 


182 


202 


191 


200 


195 


200 


189 


207 


195 


Disease of Brain 


159 


187 


176 


185 


181 


198 


171 


217 


198 


186 


Paralysis, 


155 


156 


172 


175 


180 


202 


174 


209 


255 


186 




136 


327 


248 


156 


110 


127 


159 


160 


181 


179 




162 


158 


186 


165 


189 


177 


151 


172 


195 


173 




136 


138 


104 


149 


134 


170 


145 


157 


145 


142 


Dropsy, 


99 


87 


120 


136 


100 


123 


102 


127 


158 


116 


Dis. of Stomach, 


72 


94 


88 


108 


101 


126 


136 


162 


157 


116 


Disease of Liver, 


95 


93 


72 


101 


96 


125 


130 


147 


137 


111 




131 


27 


349 


£00 


26 


104 


32 


6 


7 


109 




34 


139 


244 


129 


69 


83 


75 


100 


94 


108 




48 


61 


57 


75 


57 


48 


57 


70 


80 


62 



42 



STATEMENT OF THE CHIEF CAUSES OF DEATH AT FOUR PERIODS 
OF LIFE REGISTERED IN EACH MONTH OF 1869. 



Jan. 

Feb. 

Mar. 

Apr. 

May. 

June. 

July. 

Aug. 

Sept. 

Oct. 

Nov. 

Dec. 



Apoplexy. 


Asthma. 


Bronchitis. 


Cancer. 


Cephalitis. 


Child- 
birth. 


3 

C 


c 
i~ 


© 
o 


=3 


Under .5 1 


© 
o 


20 to 60 


a 


Under 5 


CM 
O 

«5 


1 20 to 60 


o" 


U nder 5 , 


CM 
3 


© 

CO 

o 
© 




1 CJ 

— 

; c 
p 


•N 


| 




^. 


o 

o 

o 
© 

IN 


2 


2 


8 


2 






9 




139 


7 


46 


42 






9 


(j 


6 




1 




3 


9 


1 


1 


7 


9 






3 


2 


137 


8 


02 


34 


2 


1 


5 


3 


4 


i 


1 






4 


4 




4 


5 






9 


7 


227 


8 


76 


50 






7 


4 


10 


6 


1 


1 


1 


10 


3 


3 


2 


4 






7 


1 


152 


8 


47 


54 


1 


1 


6 


4 


3 


3 








16 


3 


1 


12 


7 






5 


5 


140 


4 


41 


32 






10 


2 


3 


2 








4 


6 


1 


8 


5 






2 


2 


108 


8 


39 


27 




1 


5 


6 


3 


2 




1 




8 


2 


4 


6 


4 








2 


94 


5 


24 


15 






12 


5 


7 


6 


2 






7 


1 




6 


4 






1 




49 


1 


19 


11 






6 


2 


5 


4 


2 




1 


9 




1 


4 


7 






3 


1 


45 


6 


25 


14 




] 


7 


3 


1 


2 






1 


11 


3 




2 


3 








1 


71 


3 


16 


17 






7 


3 


2 










4 


4 


1 


7 


9 






4 


1 


150 


3 


40 


32 






10 


4 


5 


2 


1 






14 


7 




12 


8 






15 


11 


247 


5 


81 


76 






11 


1 


4 


3 


1 






17 


36 


14 


78 


67 






58 


36 


1559 


66 


516 


404 


3 


4 


95 


43 


DC 


31 


9 


2 


6 


113 


195 


94 




2545 






145 






95 




119 



Jan. 

Feb. 

Mar. 

Apr. 

May. 

June 

July. 

Aug. 

Sept. 

Oct. 

Nov. 

Dec. 



Convulsions. 



270 12 3 
287~ 



Cronp. 



165 16 
181 



Diarrhoea. 



Diphtheria. 



215 11 36 30 
292 



73 17 4 
94 



Disease of 
Brain, &c. 



56 47 76 19 
! 198 



Disease of 
Heart, &c. 



4 29 254 127 



414 



Dropsy. 



18 22 61 57 
L58 



43 



STATEMENT OP THE CHIEF CAUSES OF DEATH AT FOUR PERIODS 
OF LIFE REGISTERED IN EACH MONTH OF 18G9. 





Enteritis. 


Hooping 
Cough. 


Hydroce- 
phalus. 


Measles. 


Paralysis. 


Phthisis. 


Pneumonia, 


CO 




© 


3 

tO 




5 


•o 

(4 


71 


S3 


3 


3 

to 


Sh 


3 


3 


c 

<o 




u 


0 

(N 


0 

CO 




u 


3 
71 


to 




& 
O 


0> 

■n 
a 


g 
»o 


o 

3 


£3 

3~ 

to 


ID 

xs 
c 
i-J 


O 
'O 


P 


O 

<5 


o 
3 

7) 


OJ 

q 
P 


O 
•O 


■S 5 

« to 


J o 
o 


CO 


cu 

a 


O 

*o 


0 
0 


3 

to 


CD 

c 


0 

■u 

>7 


0 

3 

CM 


M 

to 


Jan. 


6 


2 




4 




1 


68 


4 


39 


3 




4£ 


2 




1 

9 


13 


18 


39 




86 


5 


38 


3 


24 


4 


Feb. 


15 


1 


3 






59 


2 


47 


6 




6f 


5 




9 


11 


13 


20 


87 


3 


51 


6 


11 


2 


Mar. 


16 




2 


1 


79 


5 


40 


6 




67 


4 




6 


18 


26 


62 


137 


7 


77 


7 


16 


2 


Apr. 


11 




2 




1 


52 


7 


46 


6 




6? 


2 




11 


11 


19 


39 


102 


4 


45 


7 


19 


4 


May. 


14 


3 




3 






50 


3 


36 


3 




92 


5 




10 


6 


39 


45 


118 


3 


31 


8 


27 


6 


June. 


14 


4 


1 






60 


2 


41 


4 




86 


6 




9 


17 


17 


44 


107 


3 


39 


8 


19 


2 


July. 


17 


2 




2 






35 


1 


35 


4 




82 


4 




3 


9 


17 


44 


91 


2 


21 


1 


18 


2 


Aug. 


17 


1 




1 


1 


35 


2 


21 


2 




43 


6 


.. 1 


7 


8 


23 


28 


82 


1 


19 


«» 


10 


5 


Sept. 


14 


2 




2 


1 


29 


2 


31 


1 




22 


3 




10 


8 


7 


31 


84 


4 


14 


1 


10 


2 


Oct. 


16 


1 


2 






42 




21 


2 




1<* 






10 


12 


11 


34 


53 


4 


22 


7 


11 


5 


Nov. 


14 


1 




2 






75 


1 


26 


1 




14 


4 




6 


17 


12 


22 


78 


2 


36 


4 


18 


5 


Dee. 


10 


1 


I 


1 


100 


5 


31 


3 


1 


7 


1 . 




8 


26 


18 


31 


82 


8 


31 


5 


22 


11 




164 


18 


25 


( 




384 


34 


414 1 


41 


1 


591 


)42 . 


.. 1 


98 


156 


220 


139 


1107 


46 


424 


59 


205 


50 






















































213 








710 


* 


456 




654* 


255 




1812 




738 






Scarlatina. 


Small- 
Pox. 


Tabes 
Mesenterica. 


Teeth- 
ing. 


Typhus. 


Drowning. 


Other Accidents 
and Violence. 


Months. 


fH 

CD 

5 


o 

71 

o 
o 




3 

~o 

o 
3 

"M 


6 

-H 

3' 

to 


»o 
c 

<u 

^3 

a 
D 


o 

.-i 
o 


u 

CD 

C 
P 


3 

TJ 
O 

*c 


3 

o 
O 

3 


6 

<£ 


*o 
s-l 

es 

a 

P 


«o 

CD 

p 


o 

Cl 

o 
*o 


o 

to 
o 

3 
CI 


S3 

<£ 
3~ 

CO 


«o 

cu 

a 
P 


3 
71 

0 


So 
0 

3 

7M 


u 
■35 


10 

1h 

CU 

~o 
a 
P 


(M 
O 

»o 


3 

■0 

0 
3 

CM 


6 
3" 


Jan. 


78 


48 


3 




2 




13 


2 


1 




23 


8 


7 


32 


3 






'5 




4 


8 


19 


5 


Feb. 


66 


18 








1 




8 


1 






24 


4 


1 


37 


1 






4 


1 


5 


3 


16 


1 


Mar. 


48 


22 


1 




1 




17 


3 


1 


1 


24 


2 


14 


64 


5 


2 


1 


3 


2 


4 


6 


12 


6 


Apr. 


52 


27 








1 




17 


6 






26 


4 


15 


73 


10 




3 


7 




6 


9 


12 


1 


May. 
June. 


47 
33 


20 












10 


1 






19 


7 


8 


70 
C4 


6 


1 




5 




5 


2 


7 


3 


23 


1 








11 


3 


2 


1 


17 


7 


16 


7 


2 


1 


3 




2 


1 


15 


3 


July. 


29 


23 








1 




20 


4 


1 




34 


2 


11 


67 


3 




2 


4 




3 


2 


12 


2 


Aug. 


24 


13 


1 








13 


5 






24 


3 


16 


57 


6 




3 


4 


2 


9 


5 


13 


1 


Sept. 


46 


28 








1 




12 


1 


1 




14 


6 


5 


39 


3 




4 


5 


1 


9 


3 


5 


1 


Oct. 


57 


30 


2 


1 






13 


1 


1 




17 


4 


10 


45 


7 










5 


7 


13 


4 


Nov. 


60 


29 


1 








16 


2 






22 


6 


17 


71 


7 






4 


2 


3 


6 


15 


3 


Dec. 


40 


23 


1 








14 


3 


2 




13 


6 


12 


69 


6 




1 


5 




6 


3 


14 


5 




580 


304 


10 


1 


7 




164 


32 


9 


2 


257 


59 


132 


588 


69 


5 


15 


52 


8 


61 


55 


153 


35 






















_^ 
























































v- - 




















895 






7 




207 




257 




948 






To 






304 





* There was one death from Hooping-Cough, and two from Measles, at ages 



between 20 and 60. 



44 



TABLE OF THE WHOLE CAUSES OF DEATH 





January. 




February 




March. 


Class of Disease. 




0 

CM 


0 

co 


P 






CM 


CO 








r\ 




S3 






o 


O 


0 


1 ^ 


1 


0 


O 


0 




3 
0 


0 


0 


z 




0 




o 


»o 




O 




0 


IO 


0 


0 


H 


0 


0 


0 


p 




















(M 


CO 










CO 






246 


73 


44 


! 10 


373 


247 


42 


50 


12 


351 


264 


59 


33 


9 


415 


2. Uncer. & variable seat, 




5 


20 


14 


45 


6 




16 


8 


31 




- 

0 


1 A 


Q 
O 


29 




7* 


48 


87 


5 


216 


69 


28 


88 


3 


188 


89 


77 


138 


8 


312 


4. Nervous Svstem 


46 


6 


28 


17 


97 


43 


6 


2; 


24 


101 


59 


10 


23 


26 


118 


5. Organs of Circulation, 




1 


20 


16 


37 




4 


30 


12 


46 


2 


2 J 


29 


11 


46 


6. Respiratory Organs,... 


183 


13 


89 


50 


335 


196 


14 


84 


40 


334 


306 




112 


63 


504 


7. Digestive Organs, 


38 


5 


14 


7 


64 


53 


5 


16 


6 


80 


56 


2 


20 


10 


88 




3 


2 


3 


2 


10 


3 


2 


7 


1 


13 


3 


3 


11 


6 




9. Childbirth, &c, 




3 


11 




14 






6 




6 




1 


14 


1 


J.0 


10. Organs of Locomotion, 






2 


"l 


3 




"l 


4 




5 




2 


5 


1 


8 


1 1 . Integumentary System 


"*2 








2 






1 




1 


"l 








1 




I 








1 


"2 








2 


2 


::: 






2 


13. Prem. Birth & Debility 


58 








53 


62 








62 


53 








83 




2 




5 




7 


2 


"j 


"5 




8 


6 


"3 


"7 




16 










48 


48 








41 


41 








51 


51 


16. Sudden Death, 






"*5 


2 


7 


"2 




"4 


1 


7 


"*4 


"2 


" : 2 


1 


9 




"9 


"8 


26 


6 


49 


5 


"3 


21 


2 


31 


10 


7 


17 


8 


42 


18. Causes not specified,... 


17 


2 


11 




30 


6 




9 


1 


16 


3 




1 


1 


5 




687 


166 


365 173 


1396 


696,107 


369 


157 


1323 


890,198 


476^04 


1768 




July. 


August. 




September 




Class of Disease. 




0 

CM 


0 


d, 




'O 


(M 


0 

CO 






K> 


0 

!M 


0 

CO 








0 


O 


0 




C3 
O 


0 


O 


0 




3 
0 


O 


0 


0 


•a 






0 


»o 


0 


0 


H 


0 




0 


0 




O 


*o 


0 


0 


H 








<N 


CO 








CM 


co 








CM 


CO 






226 


53 


84 


18 




178 


47 


87 


17 


329 


151 


47 


61 


6 


265 


2. Uncer. & variable seat, 


1 


2 


18 


10 


31 


3 


1 


14 


9 


27 




4 


12 


9 


25 




74 


55 


95 


2 


226 


62 


37 


82 


1 


182 


68 


37 


90 


4 


184 




35 


18 


17 


14 


84 


18 


11 


24 


13 


66 


19 


12 


18 


16 


65 


5. Organs of Circulation, 




4 


26 


10 


40 


0 




13 


5 


20 




2 


16 


11 


29 


6. Respiratory Organs,... 


117 


7 


46 


20 


190 


72 


"3 


35 


17 


127 


63 


7 


41 


18 


129 


7- Digestive Organs, , , 


71 


6 


8 


10 


95 


56 


3 


25 


10 


94 


40 


2 


23 


4 


69 




1 


1 


6 


2 


10 




2 


2 


2 


6 


2 




5 




7 


9. Childbirth, &c, 






8 




8 




1 


9 


1 


1 




"l 


14 




15 


10. Organs of Locomotion, 




"*2 


1 




3 


"i 


1 


2 








1 


2 


"l 


4 


11. Integumentary System 


"l 








1 








"l 














12. Malformations 




















- 


"3 








" # 3 


13. Prem. Birth & Debility 


67 








"67 


54 








54 


51 








51 


14. Atrophy, : 




"l 


5 




6 


2 




"l 




3 


2 








2 


15. Age, 








28 


28 








26 


26j 








*25 


25 


16. Sudden Death, 1 


"l 




"*3 


1 


5 


"l 




"3 


1 


5 






"3 




3 




8 


"4 


19 


2 


33 


14 


'*8 


19 


4 


45 


13 


7 


11 


"2 


33 


18. Causes not specified, .. 




3 


9 




15 


5 


2 


5 


1 


13 


3 


2 


1 




6 




605 


154 


345 


117 


1221 


468 


116 


321 


108 


1013 


400 


122 


297 


96 


915 



45 



GROUPED IN CLASSES, IN EACH MONTH OF 1869. 



April. 


May. 


June. 






0 

CM 


0 
co . 


d 
p 






0 

CM 


0 

CO 


d 

p 


_; 




0 

CM 


0 

CO 


Ph 
P 




Class of Disease. 


O 


O 


0 




c3 
O 


0 


O 


0 




0 


0 


O 


0 




"o 




o 


iO 


0 


0 


Eh 


0 


*0 


0 


0 


H 


0 


»o 


0 


O 


H 






<M 


CO 








CM 


CO 








Ol 


co 






222 


64 


79 


13 


378 
31 


236 


49 


84 


10 


379 


226 


56 


82 


9 


373 


, ' 


4 


5 


12 


10 


3 


3 


15 


10 


31 


1 


4 


1 1 


12 


00 
zo 


Uncer. & variable seat, 2. 


91 


54 


104 


4 


258 


91 


52 


122 


3 


268 


70 


52 


109 


4 


235 




39 


1] 


23 


16 


89 


37 


8 


31 


15 


91 


32 


1] 


26 


24 


93 






'2 


33 




44 






23 


8 


31 




1 


19 


12 


32 


Organs of Circulation, 5. 


202 


17 


81 


6? 


361 


174 


T2 


80 


44 


310 


154 


22 


62 


34 


272 


Respiratory Organs,... 6. 


58 


3 


22 


10 


93 


47 


6 


21 


8 


82 


43 


10 


23 


4 


80 






1 


14 


3 


18 


1 


4 


11 


4 


20 


1 


3 


12 


4 


20 








17 


1 


18 






4 




4 






10 


1 


11 


r<W, 1 Al^X V.4-T-. St/-. 0 


"2 


"2 


2 


6 


'"l 


"5 


1 


"*2 


9 


"l 


"3 


2 


2 


8 


Organs of Locomotion, 10. 












1 








1 


2 








2 


Integumentary System, 1 1 . 


"s 








"*3 


2 








2 


1 








1 




66 








66 


60 








60 


54 








54 


Prem. Birth & Debility, 13. 


6 


"l 


"5 




12 


10 




"4 




14 


8 


"4 


"2 




14 










44 


44 








36 


36 








39 


39 


Age, 15. 


"l 




"l 


1 


3 


"*2 




"*4 


3 


9 






"2 


3 


5 


ouuaen JJeaui, 10. 


10 


11 


22 


1 


44 


7 




13 


3 


25 


"5 


"2 


19 


3 


29 




4 




5 


3 


12 


10 




4 




15 


4 


2 


7 




13 


Causes not specified, ... 18. 


708 


171 


420 


176 


1475 


682 


142 


417 


146 


1387 


602 


170 


386 


157 


1309 




October. 


November. 


December. 




K> 


0 

CM 


0 

co 


d 


13 




0 

CM 


0 


d 
p 






0 

CI 


0 

CO 


d 
p 




Class of Disease. 


O 


0 


0 




"0 


O 


0 


0 


& 


O 


0 


0 


0 


<8 


3 

0 




O 


»C 


0 


O 


EH 


O 


*o 


0 


0 


Eh 


0 


*o 


0 


0 


Eh 








CM 


CO 






CM 


CO 








CM 


CO 






192 


52 


63 


10 


317 


206 


67 


86 


22 


382 


210 


49 


83 


9 


351 




6 


2 


14 


11 


33 


2 


14 


10 


26 


3 


4 


21 


6 


34 


Uncer. & variable seat, 2. 


45 


38 


57 


4 


145 


58 


2.5 


80 


3 


166 


64 


38 


85 


8 


195 




21 


7 


20 


17 


65 


26 


5 


24 


29 


84 


42 


9 


29 


40 


120 


Nervous System, 4. 




] 


19 


12 


32 




7 


24 


15 


46 




4 


24 


8 


36 


Organs of Circulation, 5. 


97 


10 


37 


24 


168 


191 


7 


71 


41 


310 


283 


11 


12C 


100 


520 


Respiratory Organs,... 6. 


47 


3 


21 


7 


78 


58 


3 


29 


10 


100 


37 


5 


22 


8 


72 








1 


3 


4 


1 


2 


5 


2 


10 


1 




3 


5 


9 








4 


1 


5 






24 




24 




"j 


19 




20 


Childbirth, &c, 9. 








1 


2 


"l 




3 


"l 


6 




2 


3 




5 


Organs of Locomotion, 10. 
















1 




1 








"l 


1 


Integumentary System, 1 1 . 










"*4 












"2 








2 




42 








42 


48 








"48 


65 








65 


Prem. Birth & Debility, 13. 






"3 




4 


2 




"*4 




7 


2 




"4 




6 


Atrophy, 14. 








26 


26 








37 


37 








45 


45 








2 


1 


5 






"4 


1 


6 


"l 




3 


1 






10 




18 


4 


39 


"5 


6 


21 


5 


37 


10 


4 


22 


6 


42 




h 


3 


2 


1 


11 


7 


2 


13 


1 


23 


5 


1 


6 




12 


Causes not specified,.. 18. 


472 


125 


261 


122 


980 


604 


129 


403 


177 


1313 


725 


128 


450 


237 


1540 





G 



46 



18 6 9. 

STATEMENT of the BIRTHS, DEATHS, and MARRIAGES, 

Registered in each Registration District in each Month of 1869. 





cntral. 


ill 


ridgeton. 


alton. 


d 
■si 


0 
0 

i 


[ilton. 


nclerston. 


radcston . 


'utchcson- 
town. 




0 


H 3 


pq 


0 


5 


3 




< 


EH 


M 


Jan. Births, . 


9 T7 


178 


T 7 T 


Tin 


100 


81 


150 


I O4 


J 34 


196 


Marriages 


58 


69 


70 


4-Q 


21 


56 


30 

J7 


AA 


7Q 

iy 




ueatris, . 


2/U 
~ j 


223 


164 


lit. 


84 


70 


I02 


Il8 


I T C 


I40 


Feb. Births, . 


18c 


168 


104 


123 


80 


73 


J 55 


152 


J 37 


IO4 


Marriages 


28 


16 


22 


l6 


17 


32 


12 


11 


J u 


l8 


ueatris, . 


22Q 


215 


I^O 


I07 


o2 


A T 
OI 


IAQ 


QQ 

yy 


TIT 


I20 


MAR. Births, . 


zz/ 


228 


Oil 

223 


I29 


Il8 


95 


J 59 


loo 


T 45 


203 


Marriages 


21 


31 


27 


21 


2 


31 


1 1 


1 r 


AQ 
**y 


22 


jueatns, . 


20^ 


2^5 


189 


ICC 


IO3 


84 


1 co 


T 7Q 


T/1Q 


l82 


Apr. Births, . 


OCT 
257 


221 




144 


70 


84 


t8^ 


t AQ 

loo 


177 


229 


Marriages 




36 




IQ 


II 


25 


18 


18 


/I T 

4 1 


21 


Deaths, . 


2<C I 
j 


217 


178 


Il6 


74 


Si 

S3 


12^ 


T A O 




T70 


MAY. Births, . 


224 


172 


204 


121 


93 


71 


T /I 7 


171 


141 


202 


Marriages 


28 


21 


22 


l6 


15 


28 


18 


20 


19 


I c. 


JJ earns, . 


22C 


2IO 


l68 


I0O 


IOI 


57 


I09 


i^6 


119 


IA3 


June. Births, . 


z 1 0 


216 


t nn 
199 


J 35 


IOI 


92 


140 


T A-7 
107 


104 


x 95 


Marriages 


6c; 


64 


4.2 


62 


25 


69 


42 


CO 


76 


c;6 


Deaths, . 


IQQ 


207 


I CQ 


1 j 


Q „ 
89 


DO 


99 


118 


T A T 




July. Births, . 


219 


227 


178 


146 


82 


80 


145 


154 


151 


189 


Marriages 


40 


91 


59 


68 


22 


50 


60 


50 


95 


65 


Deaths, . 


200 


214 


139 


107 


^ „ 0 
IOO 


44 


75 


QC 

77 


Q4. 


142 


AUG. Births, . 


195 


198 


157 


124 


89 


60 


159 


156 


162 


163 


Marriages 


21 


34 


27 


18 


15 


28 


24 


18 


42 


15 


Deaths, . 


156 


164 


108 


82 


57 


45 


70 


no 


100 


123 


Sept. Births, . 


209 


154 


181 


105 


83 


7i 


112 


145 


173 


174 


Marriages 


23 


38 


21 


29 


7 


23 


24 


32 


40 


32 


Deaths, . 


I 5 8 


145 


106 


7i 


53 


5i 


5i 


9< 


77 


I IO 


OCT. Births, . 


208 


186 


203 


114 


64 


90 


147 


'55 


125 


192 


Marriages 


31 


46 


23 


21 


9 


26 


29 


3i 


44 


28 


Deaths, . 


I29 


159 


127 


95 


66 


36 


83 


87 


82 


Il6 


Nov. Births, . 


206 


167 


219 


139 


76 


67 


148 


135 


167 


ISO 


Marriages 


53 


59 


39 


40 


22 


54 


47 


31 


56 


39 


Deaths, . 


207 


216 


154 


100 


85 


64 


88 


107 


144 


148 


Dec. Births, . 


212 


184 


189 


112 


75 


76 


178 


185 


140 


188 


Marriages 


46 


33 


3i 


19 


9 


43 


43 


32 


56 


19 


Deaths, . 


228 


247 


178 


121 


96 


80 


118 


142 


152 


178 



47 

18 6 9. 

SUMMARY of the BIRTHS, DEATHS, and MARRIAGES, 

Registered in each Month of 1869. 



DEATHS. 


Males. 


Fem. 


TOTAL. 


0 to 5 
Years. 


5 

to 20. 


20 

to 60. 


GO and 
upwds. 


688 


708 


1396 


687 


166 


365 


178 


675 


648 


1323 


696 


107 


369 


151 


893 


875 


1768 


890 


198 


476 


204 


745 


730 


1475 


708 


171 


420 


176 


701 


686 


1387 


682 


142 


417 


146 


657 


652 


1309 


602 


170 


386 


151 


639 


582 


1221 


605 


154 


345 


117 


/IOC 


KlS 


TOT 1 


468 


116 




108 


443 


472 


915 


400 


122 


297 


96 


502 


478 


980 


472 


125 


26l 


122 


645 


668 


1313 


604 


129 


403 


177 


757 


783 


I540 


725 


128 


450 


237 


7840 


7800 


15,640 


7539 


1728 


45IO 


1863 



Jan. 

Feb. 

Mar. 

Apr. 

May. 

June. 

July. 

Aug. 

Sept. 

Oct. 

Nov. 

Dec. 



births. 



763 
684 
865 



802 



819 

823 



730 

722 

769 
831 

762 



9418 



Fem. 



767 



717 



TOTAL. 



i53o 



140 1 



850 1715 



745 
796 
760 



732 



1704 



1547 
1615 

1583 



legit. 



1362 



1254 
1520 
1542 



1411 



H54 
H34 



1462 1321 



1408 



1257 



714 H83 1371 



673 
776 



9072 



1,504 
1538 



18,490 



1360 
1396 



16,682 



Merit. 



168 



147 



195 
162 

136 
161 



149 
141 
151 



112 



144 



142 



537 
223 
250 

273 
215 

55i 

600 



240 



271 



288 



442 



33i 



4221 



48 



A SUMMARY OF THE CAUSES OF DEATH REGISTERED IN 
IN CLASSES, WITH A COMPARATIVE 





18 6 9. 


CAUSES OF DEATH. 


AGE AT DEATH. 


Under 5 


5 and 
under 20 


20 and 
under 60 


60 and 
upwards 


TOTAL. 


1. Zymotic Diseases (Fevers, &c), 


2604 


656 


886 


145 


4292 


Specific Diseases — 












2. Diseases of uncertain or variable seat ) 


60 


oo 


lol 


1 1 7 
11/ 


Q71 


3. Tubercular Diseases (Consumption, &c.) 


842 


542 


1137 


49 


2570 


Organic Diseases — 














417 


114 


291 


251 


1073 


5. Diseases of tbe Organs of Circulation,... 


4 


30 


276 


129 


439 


6. Diseases of the Respiratory Organs > 


2038 


146 


864 


512 


3560 




604 


53 


244 


94 


995 




16 


20 


80 


34 


150 


9. Childbirth, & Dis. of Generative Organs, 




7 


140 


5 


152 


10. Diseases of Organs of Locomotion, 


1 




97 


9 


OO 


11. Diseases of the Integumentary System ) 
(the Skin,&c), ) 


9 




2 


1 


12 


Diseases of Growth, Nutrition, & Decay 














20 








20 
710 

99 




710 










43 


11 


45 












446 


446 












16. Sudden Death (disease unascertained),. 


13 


4 


36» 


16 


69 


17. External Causes (Injuries, Acci- ) 


106 


69 


228 


46 


449 




72 


18 


73 


8 


171 




7539 


1728 


4510 


1863 


15,640 



49 



GLASGOW IN 1869, AT FOUR PERIODS OF LIFE, GROUPED 
SUMMARY FOR EIGHT PRECEDING YEARS. 



1868. 


180?, 


1866. 


1865. 


1864. 


1863. 


1862. 


1861. 


ip, as 
ipon 
; page 


TOTALS. 


TOTALS 


TOTALS 


TOTALS 


TOTALS 


TOTALS 


TOTALS 


TOTALS 


Wo. of Grot 
described i 
the opposite 


3753 


2694 


2381 


4080 


3742 


4225 


2533 


2325 


1. 


350 


360 


392 


339 


397 


317 


304 


302 


2. 


2508 


2388 


2377 


2443 


2446 


2252 


2329 


2213 


3. 


945 


862 


939 


943 


833 


855 


804 


748 


4. 


428 


465 


445 


456 


425 


420 


419 


332 


5. 


2633 


2717 


2615 


2590 


2601 


2278 


2273 


2225 


6. 


993 


969 


911 


915 


964 


898 


909 


825 


7. 


160 


122 


155 


119 


114 


113 


97 


89 


8. 


106 


93 


89 


98 


106 


97 


75 


81 


9. 


DO 


Oi 


OO 




49 


oo 




CO 


10. 


q 


in 


a 
\> 


i 


9 






Q 
O 


11. 


16 


22 


21 


23 


20 


19 


19 


24 


12. 


722 


691 


706 


656 


747 


639 


653 


620 


13. 


96 


86 


84 


104 


113 


150 


121 


73 


14. 


399 


461 


435 


407 


501 


433 


462 


400 


15. 


54 


41 


43 


40 


17 


25 


22 


36 


16. 


370 


322 


425 


398 


382 


340 


324 


332 


17. 


218 


218 


244 


220 


215 


187 


180 


264 


18. 


13,825 


12,578 


12,826 


13,912 


13,674 


13,327 


11,569 


10,932 





50 



THE POPULATION OF THE CITY. 

Following the precedent which. I have adopted in past years, 
of estimating our population by the number of inhabited dwelling- 
houses, and applying to these the numerical family ratio which was 
experienced, or supposed to be experienced, at the census of 1861, 
I am indebted to the kindness of Mr. Donaldson, as to the city 
portion, and to Mr. Gale, as to the suburban portion, for informa- 
tion regarding the number of inhabited dwelling-houses found to 
exist in these divisions respectively. Applying this information 
to the family ratio of 1861, at least as to the city portion, I 
arrive at the following estimate of our population towards the 
middle of the year 1869. 

ESTIMATE OF POPULATION AT MIDSUMMER OF 1869. 
1.— City. 
Inhabited dwelling houses, 95,516. 

These taken at 4*72 each give .... 450,835 
Inmates of public institutions, barracks, and sea- 
men in harbour, &c, say 6,165 

Total population within the parliamentary and 

municipal boundary, 457,000 

2. — Subuebs. 
Population of the portion of the Ancient Eoyalty 
lying outside (and to the north) of the 

parliamentary boundary, 2,164 X 5 = 10,820 

Do. of Partick and Hillhead, 3,785 X 5 = 18,925 

Do. of Govan and Paisley Eoad, &c, . . 3,744 X 5 = 18,720 
Do. of Pollokshields, Strathbungo, Cross- 

myloof, Langside, and Crossbill, . . 1,657 X 5= 8,285 
Do. of Shettleston, Maryhill, and Spring- 
burn districts, which was, in 1861, . 14,666 
Add for increase in eight years, say 

at the rate of 2 per cent, per annum, 2,346 

• 17,012 

Hence the City of Glasgow, inclusive of its connected 

and closely contiguous suburbs, appears to have 

had a population at midsummer, 1869, of . . . 530,762 



51 



It would appear from these data, that our urban population 
has advanced during the preceding twelvemonths by ten thousand 
in round numbers, while the advance of our immediate suburban 
population is about four thousand. 

It may interest some readers to see a comparison of the various 
estimates which are formed in different quarters with regard to this 
particular subject — the population of the City proper. 

The Eegistrar- General of England estimates it at . . 458,937 
The Eegistrar- General of Scotland will, if he adopts the 
mode of calculation hitherto adopted by him, estimate 

it at 450,283 

My own estimate is, as already stated, . . . 457,000 

It will naturally occur to very many readers to infer that these 
independent estimates, approaching in their results so closely to each 
other, must reasonably represent an amount of accuracy rarely and 
with difficulty attainable, and therefore offer a very thoroughly 
reliable estimate of the actual figures of our population. I con- 
fess, however, to entertaining some disturbing doubts upon the 
subject. The unanimity of the estimates, although at first sight 
assuring, is in reality illusory, because they all three start from 
one datum line ; they each proceed with a reliance upon the pre- 
liminary fact that our population in 1861 amounted to 395,503, 
and that the average number constituting a family was 4*72. 
Consequently, the only matter remaining to cause a deviation in 
the results, arises from the modes in which they respectively 
calculate the fluctuations in the population during the compa- 
ratively brief period extending from 1861 to 1869. 

I confess, however, that I do entertain certain doubts as to 
the perfect accuracy of the census of our population in 1861. Our 
unnatural and exceptional mortality, notwithstanding the unstinted 
supply of one of the very greatest sources of health and life — water 
of the very purest quality — is sufficient to suggest some misgiving, 
so that I do incline to offer a suggestion, that, after all, our popu- 
lation may be greater than we estimate. One fact is undoubted, 
that the family rate, which at the census of 1851 was found to 
be 5*05, and varied in no important degree from that of 1841, 
had dwindled, when the results of 1861. were tabulated, down to 
4-72, constituting an enormous variation when you handle figures 



52 



like 400,000. Now, I am not aware of any circumstance connected 
with the history of our population that should exercise such an 
absolutely revolutionary power, as thus to diminish the family ratio 
to such a very important extent. I know that my predecessor, 
Dr. Strang, the chamberlain, and Messrs. Donaldson and Houston, 
the assessors of that day, and other parties conversant with the 
city whom they invited to their councils, were all bewildered by 
the result; and they spent much time in endeavouring to arrive at 
any possible solution, and terminated their labours utterly unable 
to discover or suggest any circumstance to account for so start- 
.ling a change during the decennary. It may be well to re- 
member the difficulties attending the enumeration of a city which 
is the one of all the kingdom which presents the very greatest in 
connexion with such an operation; partly on account of its enormous 
size and great compactness, and partly from its architectural pecu- 
liarities, whereby hundreds of families so live that they are piled in 
layers above each other, and even the floors which accommodate 
them, are, especially in the lower portion of the city, again endlessly 
divided and subdivided ; and it must be borne in mind that in such 
localities the mere dimensions of a dwelling are very far from 
furnishing any criterion of the numbers of its inmates. Other 
Scottish towns are no doubt to some extent similarly constructed, 
but we stand in an entirely exceptional position, for none of 
them approach to one half of the dimensions of Glasgow, nor 
can any compare with it in the density of its population. 

We must, at the same time keep in view, as furnishing a 
probably fruitful source of miscalculation, the peculiar influences 
to which our geographical position and great population expose 
us, attracting and involving, as they do, the continually in- 
creasing but irregular presence of a very large, wandering, and 
unsettled mass of what I will merely characterise as unpretend- 
ing visitors. These in a great measure patronise the thousands 
of humble lodging-houses, whether hidden or professed, many 
of whose proprietors have, as a rule, ever the fear of pecuniary 
penalties before their eyes, and would not therefore wilfully 
err upon the side of unsuitably high numbers, — to whom a census 
is a myth, and who, in common with their neighbours in such 
localities, whether lodging-house keepers or not, entertain a 
chronic aversion to figures of any kind, especially if impressed 



53 



with the suspicion of an idea that they have any connexion, 

however remote or mysterious, with house factors or tax collectors, 

or the inspection of the police. 

The deaths and the births of these wanderers remain upon 

our records, but as for very many of themselves, 

"They fold their tents like the Arabs, 
And as silently steal away." 

It does appear as a fair deduction that such elements combined, 
point to the probability of error, and of error upon that very side 
where I have ventured to express a suspicion of its lurking. No 
doubt all this will fall to be again investigated in the coming year, 
and I earnestly hope that, although a considerable amount of addi- 
tional expenditure may be required to render the enumeration as 
minutely detailed, and therefore as valuable, as possible ; the cost, — 
even were it an exceptional, and a largely exceptional one, — will not 
be permitted by the Government to stand as a barrier in the 
way of attaining a consummation so desirable as a thoroughly 
accurate and reliable census of a city so important of itself, and 
so capable, from its extensive field of observation, of furnishing 
statistical data of reliable and permanent importance. 



PROGRESS OF THE POPULATION OF THE CITY. 

Into this subject I entered with considerable detail in my annual 
Eeport for 1868, and it is unnecessary to go again over the same 
ground. Suffice it to say, that, assuming, which we may do with 
a very reasonably probable degree of accuracy, that the enumer- 
ations of 1801 to 1831, applied to an area — subject to the slight 
exceptions pointed out — not exceeding that of our present city, 
and knowing that the enumeration of 1841 to '1861 applied 
precisely to the present boundaries, we arrive at the following view 
of the decennial progress of the city. Of course, the table pro- 
ceeds, and must proceed, upon the assumption that the census of 
1861 was in all respects equally accurate with those of preceding 
years. It exhibits the decennial progress not only in its actual 
numbers but in its annual average, and I have appended a similar 
computation, although only an estimate, for the eight years which 
have now elapsed since the last census. 

H 



54 



PROGRESS OF THE POPULATION OF GLASGOW. 



Tear. 


Population. 


Increase in 

1U i cars. 


Total Increase 
$ Cent, in each 
Decennary. 


Average Annual 
Increase ^ Ct. in 
each. Decennary. 


1801 


77,385 














1811 


100,749 


23,364 


30-1919 


3.0191 


1821 


147,043 


46,294 


45-9498 


4-5949 


1831 


202,426 


55,383 


37-6645 


3-7664 


1841 


255,650 


53,224 


26-2931 


2 '6293 


1851 


529,096 


73,446 


20-7291 


2-8729 


1861 


£95,503 


06,407 


20-1786 


2-0178 


ESTIMATE OF PROGRESS TILL 1£69. 


Year. 


Population. 


Apparent 
Increase in 
8 Years. 


Total apparent 
Increase ® Cent, 
in 8 Years. 


Average apparent 
Annual Increase 
$ Ct. in 8 Years. 


1869 


457,000 


61,497 


15-555 


1-944 



INTERMENTS "WITHIN THE CITY. 

In my last Eeport I alluded to the proceedings of the Town Coun- 
cil in connexion with a movement towards suppressing intramural 
interments and closing up those graveyards which are situated within 
the city boundaries. Such a movement would obviously involve a 
necessity for sufficient accommodation being duly provided else- 
where, and it became a question for consideration whether private 
enterprise could be relied upon for fully meeting the inevitable 
requirements of our population. The majority of the Council were 
of opinion that a portion at least of the required accommodation 
should be provided by the authorities, in addition to the con- 
siderable extent at present furnished by the various proprietary 
companies whose grounds are located outside the city. It 
was found, however, that in the matter of procuring rural burial 
grounds, pecuniary considerations presented an obstacle that could 
only be surmounted by a present assessment, however probable 
might be the prospect that the proposed cemeteries would in 
process of time become self-supporting. The subject of assess- 



55 



ment has been rather a vexed question of late, and the consideration 
of the matter has been delayed, the "Local Authority" under the 
"Public Health (Scotland) Act" being in the meantime requested 
to take the necessary steps towards closing" up the city burying- 
places. The Local Authority referred to is the Board of Police, 
and, with the view of initiating arrangements for the ultimate 
suppression of city burials, it directed the Medical Officer and the 
Master of Works to examine the subject and to report. These 
gentlemen accordingly, in December, 1869, furnished a -full report, 
the chief conclusion being a recommendation that the twelve 
following burying-places should be " entirely shut up from farther 
use, except, perhaps, in very special cases (such as a husband to 
be buried beside a w T ife, or a child beside a mother, in private lairs), 
which cases might be met by some form of special application 
to the Local Authority, or to the Sheriff:" — 1, St. David's 
or Eamshorn ; 2, College or Blackfriars ; 3, North Street and Main 
Street, Anderston ; 4, Cheapsicle Street, Anderston ; 5, Calton ; 
6, Bridgeton ; 7, Gorbals, Butherglen Loan ; 8, St. Mungo's and 
High Church or Cathedral; 9, Roman Catholic Burying Ground, 
Abercromby Street ; 10, Christ Church, Mile-encl ; 11, Greendyke 
Street Episcopal Chapel ; 12, Crypt of Wellington Street Church. 

Proceeding upon this recommendation the Board of Police have 
presented the requisite petitions to the Sheriff, with respect to the 
more offensive and clamant cases; and already his lordship has 
granted their prayer with respect to the Calton burying-ground, 
but including a reservation in favour of domestic relationship 
as suggested above. 

In this position of matters, it is very obvious that it would 
be almost unreasonable in me to expect to be furnished with 
detailed replies to any applications I might make for returns of 
the annual interments in these various burying-places, since, with 
the exception of Nos. 1, 2, and 8 of the preceding list, they 
do not belong to the Corporation, and, accordingly, I have not 
applied. I, however, beg to present the following list of the inter- 
ments which have occurred during the year in the Corporation 
burying-grounds. 



56 

NUMBER OF INTERMENTS IN THE BURYING GROUNDS OF THE 
CORPORATION OF THE CITY OF GLASGOW DURING THE 
YEAR 1869. 



1869. 


Cathedral 
Old. 


Cathedral 


Cathedral 


St. 
jNX'uh^'O s. 


College, or 

X>la.Lii.lI o. 


St. 
Dei vie! 1 s 


St David's 
Orvnt 


Total. 


Jan.... 


5 


26 


1 


7 




i 




40 


Feb.... 


5 


20 




8 








33 


Mar 


7 














44 


April.. 


11 


19 




11 




4 




45 


May.... 


9 


17 




4 








30 


June... 


5 


23 




6 


• 


3 




37 


July... 


8 


20 




11 




1 




40 


Aug... 


5 


18 




8 




4 




35 


Sept... 


6 


19 




4 




1 




30 


Oct. ... 


4 


13 








2 




19 


Nov.... 


8 


10 












18 


Dec... 


8 


9 








2 


2 


21 




81 


217 


1 


09 




22 


2 


392 



These figures indicate a very slight decrease upon those of 
the previous year; and it will be observed with regret that the 
most objectionable as to locality, — viz., St. David's, which stands 
in the centre of the city, and is completely surrounded by buildings, 
has received so many as 22 interments, in addition to 2 under 
the very church itself, during the year. On the other hand, it 
is satisfactory to find that the College or Blackfriars ground, which 
is almost as unsuitable in position, has not had a single burial 
during the year. The whole of the above-named burial grounds 
are included in the list of those proposed by the Board of Police 
to be gradually but ultimately closed. 



THE BOUNDARIES OF THE CITY. 
Of late there has been some agitation with regard to the pro- 
priety of including within the boundaries of the city those im- 
portant and populous suburbs which cluster closely around it, 
and, in fact, now form an undivided portion of its substance. 
Especially has this idea been directed towards the embrace of 
certain localities, which, although the property of the Corporation 
or City, are at present situated beyond its jurisdiction, such as the 
Southside or Queen's Park, which lies altogether outside the 



57 



boundaries, — the North-eastern Park, of which a considerable 
portion is likewise outside, — and the western portion of the Kel- 
vingrove Park, which is in a similar position. Some persons 
have also entertained the opinion that the new University — which, 
being neither denominated by a national or a county appellation, but 
is the University of Glasgow — should have its local habitation, as 
well as its name, within the boundaries of the city, of which 
it has for so many centuries been an honour and a glory. A Bill, 
framed so as not only to include the localities I have now named, 
but a very much more extended area, was submitted to Parliament in 
the session 1869-70, and it was rejected on the second reading. It 
certainly embraced a large area, possibly larger than was requisite ; 
but if my reader will look back for a few pages and scan the 
acreage included within the boundaries of the towns of Leeds and 
Sheffield, he will find that each of these towns embraces an area 
larger than that which was proposed to be included in a very 
much more important city. 

In these my reports, my endeavour is — and I flatter myself that 
in this respect I have not been unsuccessful — to steer clear of all 
vexed or party questions ; and my present purpose is simply to 
lay before you a detailed statement of the component parts which 
constitute the present City of Glasgow, as ascertained even to 
the thousandth part of an acre by the recent trigonometrical 
surveyors. One reason for offering these details arises from the 
fact that at your own Council board — where I need scarcely 
remind you that I enjoy the privilege of being present as a 
listener, not a speaker — I have heard, but it is some time ago, 
gentlemen speak of the necessity of assimilating the parliamentary 
and municipal boundaries. Indeed, my memory recalls one state- 
ment, made in the ardour of debate, to the effect that the variations 
between the two had formed a source of much confusion. Will 
you pardon me for saying that the process of reconciliation is 
in this case peculiarly simple, for the mere reason that the boun- 
daries of the parliamentary and of the municipal city vary in no 
respect whatever — they are identical ; and I have no doubt that 
the misconception has arisen from the peculiarities belonging to 
the position of our outside neighbours, as stated under the second 
and third sections of the annexed details as to the municipal and 
certain suburban areas. 



58 

The following statement enumerates the parishes or portions of 

parishes which go to constitute the present parliamentary and 
municipal City of Glasgow, with the particular areas included 
in each. Whether the boundaries are to remain as at present, 
or whether they are to be extended, the details may prove 
interesting now, and very probably still more so at som<3 
future day. I also give details of two areas lying to the north, 
and intimately connected with the city, but yet forming no 
part of it. 



FIRST. — AREA within the PARLIAMENTARY axd MUNICIPAL 
BOUNDARY. 



City Parish, nearly the whole, in Lanarkshire, 
Calton do., the whole, (Barony), do. 
Barony do., part of, do. 
Govan do., do. do. 

Do. do., do. 
Maryhill do., do. 

Do. do., do. 
Springburn do., do. do., do. 

Do. do., do. do., do. 



Renfrewshire, 
Lanarkshire, 

do., (portion of Old Royalty), 22-952 



ACRES. 

988-624 
896489 
1,642-724 
707-786* 
133221 
123341 



Total Area of the City of Glasgow, 



1G3-532 
355-879 

5.034548 



Thus the whole City, with the exception of 133J acres, lies 
within the County of Lanark; and I may remark, that as a 
general rule, the City parish is precisely co-extensive with the 
ancient and extended (1800) Royalty, or in other words, the 
Royal burgh of Glasgow. Maryhill and Springburn parishes 
named here are in reality portions of the City parish, although 
subdivided for ecclesiastical purposes. Similarly, Calton parish, 
although it lies wholly within the parish of Barony. 



* This portion of Govan Parish includes the ancient Parish of Gorbals, which 
occupies an area of acres 28 489, made up thus, — Lands, Houses, Gardens, 
&c, i7'612 ; public Roads, 6-295 ; River Clyde, one half of. 2-280; and Fore- 
shore of Tidal Water, 1-247 ; as also, a small detached portion of the Parish, 
which consists of part of Gorbals Burial Ground, 1-052, and a portion of 
public road, 0-003— Total, 28-489. 



59 



SECOND. — AREA outside of the PARLIAMENTARY and MUNICIPAL 
BOUNDARIES, but within the limits of the OLD ROYALTY OF 
GLASGOW. 

ACRES. 

Maryhill Parish, part of, in Lanarkshire, . . . 316 575 
Springburn do., do. do., . . . 412*041 

728 616 



The inhabitants of this area of 728 acres, occupy the anomalous 
position of paying the majority of the City taxes, including 
those for Police, Statute Labour, Sanitary, Parks and Galleries, 
Court-Houses and City Improvements, and they pay their Prison 
Assessment to the County authorities, and yet are without any 
representation, either Parliamentary or Municipal, in connection 
with the City itself. The area forms part of the ancient Burgh 
of Glasgow, although lying outside and north of the present City 
boundary, which latter was constituted in the year 1832, and in 
reality forms part of the City parish, although, as stated on the 
preceding page, subdivided for ecclesiastical purposes, and applied 
to the Maryhill and Springburn parishas. 

THIRD.— AREA, which although within the GEOGRAPHICAL LIMITS 
of the OLD ROYALTY, belongs neither to the ROYALTY ncr to 
the MUNICIPAL and PARLIAMENTARY AREA. 

ACRES. 

Maryhill Parish, part of, in Lanarkshire, . . . 7 7 '2 17 

The inhabitants of this area are likewise anomalously situated, 
since, although bounded by the Parliamentary limit (which is 
the Forth and Clyde Canal) upon their south side, they are 
surrounded on all others by the area described in the preceding 
paragraph. Indeed, although thus actually enclosed on every side 
by neighbours who are recognised and taxed by the City, they 
themselves constitute an island population of their own, and 
neither pay taxes to, nor receive protection from the City, nor 
have they any connection with its Parliamentary or Municipal 
affairs. The preceding remarks as to Maryhill parish apply hero 
also, but in this instance the area belongs to the Barony parish. 



60 



THE RENTAL OF GLASGOW. 



We may now direct attention to a very interesting topic in 
connexion with the progress of Glasgow, — I allude to the rental 
of the city; and it is exceedingly satisfactory to find that it 
continues to present tangible evidence of material progress in a 
very decided degree. In fact, the increase of rental during the 
past year exhibits the very greatest advance ever experienced, 
with the single exception of the immediately preceding year, — 
viz., 1868-69. We have now also reached a particularly note- 
worthy point of progress, inasmuch as the gross rental of the 
city, within the municipal boundaries, has, for the first time 
in its history, attained the position of exceeding two millions 
sterling. The excess beyond that amount is not a great one, 
still it is nearly eleven thousand pounds, and how many cities 
are there in the world that can exhibit a rental equal to two 
millions sterling? 

Through the kindness of Mr. Donaldson, the able Assessor under 
the Lands Valuation Act, I am enabled to exhibit several 
interesting tables connected with this subject. The first sum- 
marizes the rental of the city, within the municipal boundaries, and 
at the sametime the small portion already described as contained 
within the ancient royalty, but lying outside of these boundaries. 

ABSTRACT OF THE RENTAL OF GLASGOW, INCLUDING THAT 
PORTION OF THE ROYALTY BEYOND THE PARLIAMENTARY 
BURGH, 1869-70. 



WITHIN PARLIAMENTARY BURGH. 



Houses, Shops, Warehouses, Factories, 

Gas, Water, and other Works, . 
Eailways and Canals, . 



£1,970,615 
40,383 



£2,010,998 



ROYALTY BEYOND PARLIAMENTARY BURGH. 



Houses, Shops, Warehouses, Factories, 

Gas, Water, and other Works, . 
Eailways and Canals, . 



£32,523 
11,867 



£41 390 



£2,055,388 



61 



In accordance with my usual custom, I beg also to present a table 
which affords a detailed comparison of the rental exhibited in the 
preceding table with that of the six preceding years. 



Houses, Shops, Ware- 
houses, Factories, Gas, 
Water, and other works 
within Parly. Burgh, 

Railways and Canals, 



Royalty beyond Parlia- 
mentary Burgh, Houses, 
Shops, &c, 

Railways and Canals,... 



13G9-70. 



1,970,615 
40,383 
2,010,998 

32,523 
11,687 



2,055,388 



1868-69. 



1,904,092 
40,536 



1,944,628 

30,783 
11,580 
1,986,911 



1867-08. 



1,835,569 
38,238 
1,873,807 

28,203 
11,585 



1,913,595 





1866-67. 


1865-66. 


1864-65. 


1863-64. 


Houses, Shops, Ware- 
houses, Factories, Gas, 
Water,and other works, 
within Parly. Burgh, 

Railways and Canals, 

Royalty beyond Parlia- 
mentaryBurgh, Houses, 

Railways and Canals, 


1,799,212 

26,688 


1,744,542 
26,896 


1,716,163 
27,021 


1,685,086 
26,505 


1,825,900 

27,702 
9,422 


1,771,428 

26,563 
10,429 


1,743,184 

25,860 
9,684 


1,711,591 

24,535 
9,264 




1,863,024 


1,808,430 


1,778,728 


1,745,390 



RENTAL OP THE LAST FIFTEEN YEARS. 

The following additional table, still in connexion with rental, 
exhibits the progress of the city in this respect, during the con- 
siderable period of fifteen years, and it includes the small portion 
of the ancient Eoyalty which lies outside of the parliamentary 
burgh already alluded to. The figures represent the whole period 
which has elapsed since the commencement of the operation of 
the Valuation Act ; and the reader will notice with interest their 
undeviating progress. In not a single year of the period has 
there been a halt or a retrograde movement. 

i 



62 



VALUATION OF THE CITY OP GLASGOW" AS PREPARED BY THE 

ASSESSOR UNDER THE LANDS VALUATION ACT, FROM THE 
TIME THE ACT CAME INTO OPERATION UP TO THE PRESENT 
YEAR. 



Year. 


"Valuation. 


Increase. 


1855-56 


£1,362,168 




1856-57 


1,400,885 


. £38,717 


1857-58 


1,462,551 




1858-59 


1,518,756 


56,205 


1859-60 


1,573,165 


54,409 


JLoOU-Ol 


1 1 Aft 

1,0^0,141:0 . 


£1 QQQ 


1861-62 


1,666,336 


41,188 


lob^-OO 


■f TAO 1 1 O 
1,702, lid 


35,777 


1863-64 


1,745,390 


43,277 


1864-65 


1,778,728 


33,338 


1865-66 


1,808,430 


29,702 


1866-67 


1,863,024 


54,594 


1867-68 


1,913,595 


50,571 


1868-69 


1,986,911 


73,316 


1869-70 


2,055,388 


68,477 






£693,220 



RENTAL OF THE OCCUPIED AND UNOCCUPIED DWELLING- 
HOUSES OF THE CITY. 

During the last two years, the pressure of work in the Assessor's 
office, arising from many causes, has deprived me of the oppor- 
tunity of procuring the data requisite to enable me to submit 
to you and to include in these reports, the usual statement 
of the occupied and unoccupied house property in Glasgow. I 
have now, however, the pleasure of resuming these statistics, and 
of placing before you, in the immediately following table, the par- 
ticulars of the rental of each class of the 95,516 occupied houses 
already stated to exist, in the calculations as to the population ; as 
well as of the unoccupied houses within the same limits, which at 
Midsummer, 1869, amounted to 1,602, thus giving a total at that 
period of 97,118 dwelling-houses. The boundaries include almost 
the whole of the City parish, together with portions of the 
Barony, Govan, and Gorbals parishes; and the particulars of 
each are here exhibited separately. » 



63 



DWELLING-HOUSES WITHIN THE PARLIAMENTARY BURGH OF 
GLASGOW, 1869-70. 



Parish. 


£4 and Under. 


Above £4 
and under £10. 


£10 and upwards. 


Total. 


No. 


Rental. 


No.' 


Rental. 


No. 


Rental. 


No. 


Rental. 


City,.... 
Barony, 
Govan,. 
Gorbals 


18,585 
8,328 
2,023 
948 


115,024 0 
28,014 10 
7,093 5 
3,204 0 


9,312 
21,735 
11,257 

1,099 


33,643 0 
137,442 10 
77,457 5 
6,364 5 


6,956 
10,737 
5,529 
209 


148,360 0 
309,772 5 
100,138 10 
3,249 15 


34,853 
40,800 
19,209 
2,256 


297,027 0 
475,229 5 
184,689 0 
12,818 0 


29,88 J 


153,335 15 


43,403 


254,907 0 


23,831561,520 10 
1 


37,118 


969,763 5 


OF WHICH THE UNOCCUPIED PORTION STOOD THUS 


City,.... 
Barony, 
Govan,. 
Gorbals 


202 
207 
51 

34 


1,240 0 
641 0 
169 10 
103 15 


284 
258 
110 
6 


917 15 
1,626 5 
754 15 
40 0 

3,338 15 


130 
231 
88 
1 


4,179 5 
6,448 10 
1,935 0 
17 0 
12,579 15 


616 
696 
249 
41 


6,337 0 
8,715 15 
2,859 5 
160 15 


494 


2,154 5 


658 


450 


1,602 


18,072 15 



The next table offers a more comprehensive glance of the total 
number of unoccupied dwelling-houses in each of the component 
parishes, together with those outside the present boundaries, but 
inside the old Royalty as already described. 

NUMBER OF OCCUPIED AND UNOCCUPIED DWELLING-HOUSES. 









Occupied. 


TJnocsupied. 


Total. 


City Parish, within Parliamentary Burgh, 


34,237 


616 


34,853 


Barony „ 


» 


» 5» 


40,104 


696 


40,800 


Govan „ 






18,960 


249 


19,209 


Gorbals „ 


n 


ii 91 


2,215 


41 


2,256 








95,516 


1,602 


97,118 


City Parish, beyond Parliamentary Burgh, 


2,164 


67 


2,231 








97,680 


1,669 


99,349 



These last tables have reference to dwelling-houses only, but I 
need scarcely remind you, that in connexion with the multifarious 



64 



industry of Glasgow, there are many and various classes of property 
besides dwelling-houses. Accordingly, the following table exhibits 
the number of possessions, including every class, and within the 
same limits which the preceding table includes, distinguishing also 
the number of occupied from the unoccupied. 



NUMBER OF OCCUPIED AND UNOCCUPIED POSSESSIONS. 





Dwelling 


-Houses. 


Other Possessions. 




Occupied. 


Un- 
occupied. 


Occupied. 


Un- 
occupied. 


Within Parliamentary Burgh, 

Ancient Royalty, beyond Parly. Burgh,... 


95,516 
2,164 


1,602 
67 


15,144 
127 


1,048 
5 




97,680 


1,669 


15,271 


1,053 



It would appear from the details given upon the preceding 
page, that the number of unoccupied dwelling-houses amounted 
only to 1,602, including every class; and that of these, some- 
what more than a fourth were of a rental at and under £4, and 
somewhat less than a half at a rental above £4 and under £10. 
This number of unoccupied houses falls not only far below the 
average of former years, but, when we look to the increased 
dimensions of the city, falls very far below the percentage of 
any year in our records. The following have been the com- 
parative numbers of occupied and unoccupied houses during the 
last nine years, within the municipal boundaries. 



Year. 


Occupied. 


Unoccupied. 


1861 


82,493 


5,086 


1862 


82,885 


6,703 


1863 


85,163 


6,536 


1864 


87,767 


4,828 


1865 


90,008 


3,280 


1866 


91,623 


1,763 


1867 


92,021 


Not ascertained. 


1868 


93,393 


1,609 


1869 


95,516 


1,602 



Thus, at present, the unoccupied stand to the occupied in the pro- 
portion of about 1 to 60 in the city, while in the small portion of the 
Eoyalty outside our boundaries it stands as 1 to 36. I am not 
in possession of data capable of enabling me to supply similar 



65 



information regarding the suburbs. Sixteen hundred empty houses 
may at first sight seem to offer a large amount of accommodation, 
but if we reflect for a moment how many of these are probably 
unoccupied for the very reason that they are not suitable for 
occupancy, and also that people do not rent a house simply because it 
is untenanted, but are swayed by a hundred considerations, whether 
connected with correct views or caprice, — such as cheapness, ex- 
tent of accommodation, locality, character of neighbourhood, &c, 
&c, we shall readily see that at all times there must constantly 
be a considerable number of houses without tenants ; and that 
for a population approaching to half a million, and requiring nearly 
one hundred thousand dwelling places, a M margin" of even more 
than 1,600 is by no means an unreasonable one. A glance at the 
previous table elicits the fact, that, ranging from six to nine years 
ago, the average number of empty houses was about 6,000, with 
a population forty to fifty thousand less than at present; but the 
first three years of the preceding table formed an unfortunate period 
for the building trades. 

NEW HOUSES. 
This position of affairs has not escaped the vigilance of our en- 
terprising builders, and probably within no man's memory was there 
ever displayed such an amount of activity in this particular trade. 
The result is, that masses of houses, chiefly in " tenements," are 
rising on every side, not in any particular direction or locality, as in 
former years, but all round ; in fact, encircling the city with a ring 
of fresh masonry. The following details, compiled for the city by 
the Police, and for the suburbs by Mr. Donaldson ; for the infor- 
mation of the City Improvement Trustees, exhibit the position and 
progress of the smaller houses of the city and suburbs, that is to 
say, those of 1, 2, and 3 apartments; at the close of 1869. 

Small Houses. One Two Three 

Apart. Aparts. Aparts. Total. 

1. Small unoccupied houses within the 

present municipal boundaries, . . 145 290 87 522 

2. Small houses in course of erection 

within the same boundaries, ... 266 830 284 1380 



Small houses in course of erection 
beyond the present municipal boun- 
daries, but within those of the re- 
cently proposed extension, . . . 169 426 180 775 

580 1546 551 2667 



66 



The second item of this list shows that there were in course of 
erection within the city at the end of the year, 1,380 of this class 
of houses, some of which are already occupied, and all will be 
completely ready for occupancy, at or previous to the term of 
Whitsunday, 1870. The records of the Dean of Guild Court 
present ample proofs of the continuance of this marvellous activity, and 
hundreds of additional houses have since been sanctioned and are now 
in process- of erection. Besides, we must remember that in addition 
to the small houses enumerated, there are probably as many as one- 
third to be added to these numbers, in order to represent the houses 
of larger dimensions also in process of construction both inside and 
outside of the city boundaries. 



VALUATION OF THE COUNTY OF LANARK. 

The subject of valuation being one of peculiar local interest, 
I beg to exhibit upon the two succeeding pages a detailed catalogue 
of that of the whole County of Lanark, as divided into its com- 
ponent parishes, and valued and assessed for the current year. 
The table thus given does not include the city of Glasgow, nor 
the burghs of Airdrie, Hamilton, Lanark, and Eutherglen, which 
for assessable purposes are placed apart, and do not for this purpose 
form portions of their respective parishes. The valuations, there- 
fore, of the city and of the burghs fall to be added to the amount 
exhibited in the enumeration referred to, in order to ascertain the 
entire valuation of the county. That of the city I have already 
given ; those of the burghs apart from that of their respective 
parishes are as follows: — 



VALUATION OF BURGHS, 1869-70. 

Burgh of Airdrie, . . . £21,512 0 
Burgh of Hamilton, . 
Burgh of Lanark, 
Burgh of Eutherglen, 

Total of these four Burghs, . . £79,978 10 0 



29,000 10 
10,320 0 
19,146 0 



67 



VALUATION OF THE COUNTY OF LANARK, YEAR 1869-70, 

(Exclusive op the City of Glasgow and pour Burghs named below.) 



Names of Parishes. 


General Heritages. 


Railways, Canals, &c. 


Total. 


Upper Ward. 




















Biggar, 


£11,206 


3 


0 


£1,536 


0 


0 


£12,742 


3 


0 


Carluke, 


26,613 


4 


0 


5,015 


0 


0 


31,628 


4 


0 


Carnwath, 


28,434 


10 


0 


15,730 


0 


0 


44,164 


18 


0 


Carmichael, 


6,118 


5 


0 


2,661 


0 


0 


8,779 


5 


0 


Carstairs, 


8,690 


5 


0 


5,395 


0 


0 


14,085 


5 


0 


Covington, 


4,093 


19 


0 


3,168 


0 


0 


7,261 


19 


0 


Crawford, 


14,383 


2 


0 


9,012 


0 


0 


23,395 


2 


0 


Crawfordjohn, 


9,150 


9 


ft 








9,150 


9 


0 


Culter, 


5,403 


13 


0 


703 


0 


0 


6,106 


13 


0 


Dolphinton, 


2,594 


15 


0 


753 


0 


0 


3,347 


15 


0 


Douglas, 


13,941 


0 


0 


1,535 


0 


0 


15,476 


0 


0 


Dunsyre, 


3,501 


_ _ 
17 


0 




A 

u 


A 

u 


b,7oy 


1/ 


A 

u 


Lamington & W&ndell, 


4,935 


11 


0 


3,776 


0 


0 


8,711 


11 


0 


Lanark, 


15,459 


7 


0 


6,522 


0 


0 


21,981 


7 


0 


Lesmahagow, ... 


49,810 


11 


0 


10,514 


0 


0 


60,324 


11 


0 


T .ihprfT»n 

JJiUCi tUU) ... ... 


7,055 


18 


0 








7,055 


18 


0 


Moffat, 


651 


0 


0 


924 


0 


0 


1,575 


0 


0 


i- t^LLlUCLlll, ... ... 


3,601 


0 


0 


1,341 


0 


0 


4,942 


0 


0 


Symington, 


2,930 


17 


0 


3,680 


0 


0 


6,610 


17 


0 


Walston ... ... 


3,014 


10 


0 








3,014 


10 


0 


Wiston and Roberton, 


6,778 


0 


1 


1,416 


0 


0 


8,194 


1 


0 


Total op Upper \ 







































Ward exclusive of K 


£228,368 


5 


0 


£76,949 


0 


0 


£305,317 


5 


0 


BURGH of Lanark, J 




















Middle Ward. 




















Avondale, 


£31,552 


11 


0 


£1,305 


0 


0 


£32,857 


11 


0 


Blantyre, 


12,031 


4 


0 


4,473 


0 


0 


16,504 


4 


0 


Both well, 


80,360 


J8 


0 


10,755 


0 


0 


91,115 


18 


0 


Cambuslang, 


17,069 


14 


0 


2,866 


0 


0 


19,935 


14 


0 


Cambusnethan, 


76,636 


17 


0 


9,386 


0 


0 


86,022 


17 


0 


Dalserf, 


27,462 


9 


0 


5,387 


0 


0 


32,849 


9 


0 


Dalziel, 


35,299 


2 


0 


6,576 


0 


0 


41,875 


2 


0 


Fast Kilhrirlp 


29,«765 


10 


0 


1,841 


0 


0 


31,606 


16 


0 


Glassford, 


8,877 


17 


0 


527 


0 


0 


9,404 


17 


0 


Hamilton, 


53,540 


5 


0 


8,636 


0 


0 


62,176 


5 


0 


New Monkland, 


36,446 


5 


11 


8,891 


0 


0 


45,337 


5 


11 


Old Monkland, 


120,874 


0 


0 


21,008 


0 


0 


141,882 


0 


0 


Shotts, 


48,134 


0 


0 


17,072 


0 


0 


65,206 


0 


0 


Stonehouse, 


11,176 


7 


0 


1,722 


0 


0 


12,838 


7 


0 


Total of Middle^ 




















Ward exclusive off 
BURGHS of Hamil- j 
ton and Airdrie, ) 


£589,227 


5 


11 


£100,445 


0 


0 


£689,672 


5 


11 









68 

VALUATION OF THE COUNTY OF LANARK— Continued. 



Names ol Parishes. 


General Heritages. 


Railways, Canals, &c. 


Total. 


Lower Ward. 




















Barony, 


£31,789 


12 


6 


£14,783 


0 


0 


£46,572 


12 


6 


Cadder, 


34,328 


17 


11 


9,408 


0 


0 


43,736 


17 


11 


Carmunnock, ... 


6,002 


14 


6 








6,002 


14 


6 


Cathcart, 


£,220 


4 


0 








3,220 


4 


0 


Govan, 


197,213 


2 


0 


14,758 


0 


0 


211,971 


2 


0 


High Church, 


30,795 


7 


9 


13,511 


0 


0 


44,306 


7 


9 


Rutherglen, 


12,841 


7 


4 


1,822 


0 


0 


14,663 


7 


4 


Shettleston, 


20,854 


11 


7 








20,854 


11 


7 


Total op Lower") 
Ward exclusive of j 


























£54,282 












the City of Glas- }■ 


£337,045 


17 


i 


0 


0 


£391,327 


17 


7 


Gowand BURGH of | 
Rutherglen, ... J 

Grand Total of\ 
County exclusive off 
the City op Glas- j 
gow and Burghs, J 




















£1,154,641 


8 


6 


£231,676 


0 


0 


£1,386,317 


8 


6 



The reader will notice with some degree of interest that while, 
as a matter of course, the value of the "general heritages" usually 
exceeds that of all others in the various parishes, it is found to he 
very exceptional with respect to the hill parishes of Mcffat and 
Symington, where the valuation of "railways, canals, &c," — of 
course canals are out of the question — exceeds hy much that of the 
whole of the other assessable property in each of these. 



THE CONSTITUENCY OF GLASGOW. 
During the year, the sixteen wards into which the city is 
divided for parliamentary and municipal election purposes have 
been entirely re-distributed, with the view of securing, as far as 
practicable, some approach to a uniformity in the number of 
electors belonging to each. At the original arrangement of the 
wards this was attempted, and to a certain extent successfully, 
but during the lapse of years, the movement of occupants and 
the conversion of dwelling-houses into places of business, have 
wrought such wide-spread changes, that in the year 1868-69, the 
first ward had come to boast of 6,356 electors, while the seventh 



69 



had to be satisfied with 452. The re-arrangement has in a great 
measure remedied this unsatisfactory position of affairs, and in 
the following table the numbers of each ward for the present 
electoral year are exhibited. It must be borne in mind, however, 
that the sixteen wards of 1869-70 possess in no instance the 
same geographical boundaries as the sixteen wards of previous 
years. In some cases the limits are extended, in others reduced, 
while in some instances the locality of the ward is entirely changed. 

Thus, in comparing the column for the present year with those 
representing the previous years given, the reader will please to bear 
in mind, that although the wards range in number from I. to XVI. 
as before, the localities and boundaries are all somewhat changed. 
I have not space left, otherwise I should include a list of these new 
boundaries; and all I can say at present is, that in no case do 
the former boundaries remain unaltered, and that in no case, there- 
fore, does any ward exactly represent its predecessor, although 
standing under the same numerical denomination. 



NUMBER OF ELECTORS IN EACH WARD. 



Wards. 


1369-70. 


1868-69. 


1867-68. 


1866-67. 


1865-66. 


1864-65. 


I. 


3,710 


6,356 


1,199 


1,122 


],050 


1,006 


II. 


3,815 


3,204 


859 


830 


842 


849 


III. 


2,881 


3,492 


900 


889 


874 


856 


IV. 


3,667 


3,594 


936 


829 


825 


813 


Y. 


3,772 


800 


544 


535 


572 


555 


VI. 


2,674 


601 


374 


369 


363 


362 


VII. 


2,008 


452 


435 


427 


421 


412 


VIII. 


1,772 


1,107 


1,010 


1,003 


1,001 


959 


IX. 


2,301 


738 


442 


389 


392 


391 


X. 


3,478 


4,494 


1,530 


1,431 


1,343 


1,330 


XI. 


2,390 


5,412 


2,099 


1,940 


1,820 


1,787 


XII. 


2,591 


1,289 


1,045 


1,016 


976 


893 


XIII. 


3,137 


1,991 


1,165 


1,150 


1,102 


1,067 


XIV. 


3,681 


6,059 


2,396 


2,249 


2,109 


2,041 


XV. 


4,330 


3,600 


1,423 


1,339 


1,301 


1,284 


XVI. 


3,864 


4,665 


1,944 


1,830 


1,768 


1,717 


Total, 


50,071 


47,854 


18,361 


17,348 


16,819 


16,322 



J 



70 



THE STEAM-ENGINE POWER OP GLASGOW. 

In a former report I mentioned that I had obtained the details 
of the steam-engine power employed within the city boundaries, 
but was unable to afford sufficient leisure to arrange and tabulate 
them. This I have now done, and beg to offer the following 
very striking list of the purposes to which the powers of the 
steam-engine are applied, in connection with the multifarious 
industries of Glasgow. 



jc- Actual Tons of Fuel 

CLASS OF BUSINESS. °* Horse power consumed 

^n 0 mes. use(L per annum . 



jjhi citfciu. vv ciLcr iviauuicioturt;rs, . . 


id. 




700 


-Delivers, ...... 


A 


70 






lo 


14.4. 


A. QOO 


Bleachers and Finishers, • • • • 


CO 


1 

1D\J 


t ^no 


rsfQ cCTAn n f\ otc? (!r»nnArcm l f Ti 6 PlnTYincrc 

x)L dssiuuiiLici a, v^uppeisiiiiLiis, x luuiuci a, 








and Zinc Manufacturers, . ■ . 


ol 


1 4R 


4. 900 


Brewers, ...... 


lo 


1 A_C\ 


o,oou 


vaUluc LIllaKt;! B, . . . . . 


7 


£>0 


1 900 


Carpet Manufacturers, . . . . 


Q 
O 


1L\J 


^ 74-0 


Chemical Manufacturers,* ... 




70U 




Cotton Spinners, Weavers, and Threadmakers, 


79 


7,960 


93,250 


Coopers, 


4 


70 


990 


Calenderers, &c, 


40 


450 


9,550 


Confectioners, 


12 


65 


2,020 


Cement (Roman) and Charcoal Grinders, . 


5 


120 


2,770 


Cotton- Waste Cleaners, &c, 


6 


50 


1,100 


Coffee Preparers, 


3 


30 


800 


Calico Printers and Dyers, 


130 


2,360 


75,800 


Copper and Dye Extractors, 


4 


100 


3,640 


Clothiers and Shirtmakers, 


3 


15 


300 


Drysalters, Dye Extractors, and Dye Grinders, 


9 


185 


5,860 


Distillers, 


5 


70 


9,300 


Engineers and Boilermakers,* . 


70 


1,012 


21,370 


Engravers and Lithographers, . 


9 


70 


1,780 


Edge-Toolmakers, 


9 


80 


4,420 


Cabinetmakers, ..... 


5 


60 


890 



71 



CLASS OF BUSINESS. 


No. of 

Engines. 


Actual 
Horse power 
used. 


Tons of Fuel 

consumed 
per annum. 


Grain Millers, .... 


19 


1,850 


23,950 


Gas Works, 


6 


38 


1,590 


Glassmakers and Potters, . 


15 


465 


13,900 


Hay Cutters and Corn Bruisers, 


4 


19 


640 


Hoisting Goods, .... 


3 


28 


470 


Heddle, Reed, and Shuttle Makers, . 


4 


50 


1,270 


Iron founders, . 


62 


1,100 


23,400 


Ironforgers, 


12 


440 


8,220 


Iron-Rivet and Bolt Makers, 


9 


90 


2,010 


Iron-Pipe and Tube Makers, 


. 16 


240 


8,700 


Ironmakers, 


. 57 


3,000 


40,500 


Iron Bedsteads, Fences, &c., Makers, 


7 


70 


1,540 


Jute Manufacturers, 


18 


2,170 


20,900 


Lead Manufacturers, 


4 


70 


1,760 


Manufacturers (General), . 


34 


1,434 


21,400 


Machinemakers, .... 


. 57 


1,120 


23,500 


Oil Refiners and Oil-Cake Makers, &c, 


12 


180 


3,760 


Paint Grinders, .... 


12 


126 


2,340 


Paperhangers and Stainers, 


3 


8 


220 


Papermakers, .... 


14 


420 


13,620 


Weavers, . . . . . 


29 


2,210 


28,040 


Printers (Letterpress), 


22 


150 


3,170 


Ropemakers, 


8 


120 


2,080 


Railway- Waggon and Engine Builders, 


20 


750 


11,950 


Starch, and Gum Makers, 


5 


43 


2,900 


Saw millers,* ..... 


26 


680 


9,540 


Soapmakers, &c, . . . . 


3 


75 


1,800 


Smiths, 


14 


70 


1,660 


Sugar Refiners, 


16 


350 


31,500 


Shoe Factors, 


6 


65 


2,200 


Shipbuilders,* ..... 


26 


650 


8,200 


Tanners, 


6 


26 


710 


Tobacco-Pipemakers, 


4 


26 


425 


Turners (Wood), .... 


11 


96 


1,970 



72 



n - Actual Tons of Fuel 
CLASS OP BTJSIKESS. tw' Horsepower consumed 

Engines. ^ per annum- 

Wireworkers, 3 12 400 

"Wrights, J oiners, and Packing- Boxmakers, 17 122 2,430 

Manufacturers of Asphalte, Blocks, Chan- 
deliers, Clocks, Galvanized Iron, Hair- 
cloth, Hoops, Hats and Caps, Leather, 
Lifebuoys, Lucifer Matches, Millboard, 
Manure, Paper Bags, Railway Signals, 
Spindles, Saddle Trees and Harness, 
Scaleboard, Sewing Machines, Sausages, 
Steam Hammers, Woollen Flocks, Wad- 
ding, and Weighing-Machines ; Builders, 
Curriers, Enamellers, Butchers, Coal 
Masters, Coachbuilders, Marble Cut- 
ters, Quarriers, Starchers, Silk Manufac- 
turers, Singers, Stablers, Warpers, and 

Worsted Spinners, &c, &c, . . 73 1,510 41,540 



Thus the following summary presents 
the grand total of these details : — 

1. The total number of Steam-Engines 
at work within the boundaries of the 

City of Glasgow is .... 1.208 

2. The amount of horse-power which they 
represent in actual use, although most of 
them could be worked to a higher figure, 

is, 34,165 

3. The quantity of Fuel consumed by these 

engines amounts annually to . . 740,980 

* The reader will bear in mind that the extensive Shipbuilding and Engineering 
yards on the south bank of the Clyde, extending from the General Terminus Rail- 
way Station westwards, as well as the other important public works situated in that 
locality, are one and all outside of the City boundaries, and are therefore not in- 
cluded in this list, although those upon the opposite bank of the river down to the 
Kelvin, are within the boundaries. In the same way, the important shipbuilding 
yards and other works situated to the west of the Kelvin and upon the north 
bank of the Clyde, as also the great chemical works at St. Kollox, probably 
the most extensive in the world, together with all the other factories, sawmills, &c. 
lying north of the Forth and Clyde Canal at Glasgow, are likewise omitted, being 
outside of the actual City limits. 



73 



THE EIVER CLYDE. 

The requirements of a tidal stream which has been redeemed 
from a state of nature and artificially converted into a deep and 
noble river are unceasing, and more especially is this the case 
upon the Clyde, where the current is somewhat sluggish. Indeed, 
but for the vigilance exerted by, and the liberal means at the 
disposal of, the conservators of the navigation, the Clyde would, 
like many an " ancient river," fast revert to its former condition, 
which, at but a recent period, was that of a rural stream, capable 
only at the top of the tide of permitting the passage of anything 
presenting a tonnage beyond that of a respectable fishing boat. 
A very matter-of-fact limner, Captain John Slezer, in his 
" Theatrum Scotiae," wherein he describes Glasgow as " the 
very greatest Empory of all the west of Scotland," furnishes a 
view of the city and river about the year 1670, with almost 
the minuteness of photography. He there exhibits the shipping 
in the harbour as amounting to three vessels, each having a 
mast, and boasting apparently a burthen of possibly ten tons, 
and one of them is aground. In 1869, the average tonnage 
constantly in harbour amounted to about 70,000 tons. Fifty- 
three years ago, that is to say, in 1816, the annual revenue of 
the harbour had not, after an arduous struggle, reached six 
thousand pounds. In the year just elapsed, 1869, that revenue 
has approached one hundred and sixty thousand pounds, and is 
still steadily advancing. Some years after the period which I have 
quoted (of course not 1670, but 1816), I have myself seen schoolboys 
ford the river where vessels drawing 21 to 22 feet of water now 
float, and where, during the past year, the prodigious armour-clad 
war-ships, the "Invincible" and " Audacious," of 3,770 tons each, 
have been actually built and launched and fitted for sea. 

As illustrative of the continued requirements of this almost 
artificial navigation, I may mention that during the past year 
alone there have been excavated or " dredged " from the bed of 
the river the enormous quantity of more than eight hundred and 
seventy thousand of cubic yards of matter. This amount of work 
has exacted the constant employment of one tug steamer, five 
steam dredgers (the newest of which can work at a depth of 28 
feet), three diving bells, and ten steam hopper barges ; involving 
an expenditure in wages, fuel, stores, repairs, and casual expenses, 



74 



of upwards of thirty-four thousand pounds, irrespective of the first 
cost of the vessels and apparatus. Similar operations to these 
have proceeded uninterruptedly for a long- series of years, and 
some idea of their magnitude may be gained from the fact, that 
while the whole sum expended upon the river and harbour and 
its extension of area, during the last ninety-nine years has some- 
what exceeded four millions seven hundred thousand pounds, 
the portion applied to dredging operations alone has exceeded 
four hundred and sixty thousand pounds. We must at the same 
time remember, however, that this latter sum has necessarily been 
expended during greatly less than one half of the period named, 
for steam power was not available in any part of the former 
half of the period. The quantity of material thus excavated and 
removed has, during a period of 25 years, amounted to nearly 
eleven millions eight hundred thousand cubic yards. Now, as 
the operations of the Trustees are confined to a space of about 
18 miles in length, it may furnish a more graphic notion of the 
actual bulk of the material thus removed, if we reflect for a 
moment that it is equal to a mass or bank extending over the 
whole length of these 18 miles, with a width of 330 feet, and a 
depth of 10 feet throughout. 

Even these gigantic measures, however, fail to keep pace with 
the advancing requirements of the harbour, and the Trustees are 
promoting a Bill in the present session of Parliament, which has 
passed the House of Commons, and is likely to meet no opposition 
in the House of Lords. Its object is to obtain powers to execute 
the following works, which may extend over a period of ten years, 
and are estimated to involve an expenditure of about sixteen 
hundred thousand pounds:— (1) A dock or tidal basin, in two 
branches or divisions, extending from Sandyford Street on the 
west to near Messrs. Barclay, Curie, & Co.'s Stobcross Shipbuild- 
ing Yard on the east. (2) A quay or wharf fronting the river and 
parallel with said dock. (3) A diversion of the present Pointhouse 
road, which now runs along the bank of the river to its con- 
fluence with the Kelvin, but which will be made to leave the 
river bank at Messrs. Barclay, Curie, & Co.'s Building Yard, 
proceeding northwards, and thereafter westwards along the north 
side of the new dock already referred to, to Sandyford Street, 
with a width of 55 feet. (4) A tramway connecting the new 



75 



dock with the rail or tramway already authorised along the 
north side of the harbour. (5) A quay or wharf on the south 
side of the Clyde, from Kelvinhaugh Ferry to the west end 
of Mavisbank Quay. (6) A tramway, also on the south side, 
extending from Heathery Hall to the new Mavisbank Quay, 
and joining the tramway already authorised to be constructed 
along the south side harbour. In addition to, and irrespective 
of these operations, the Trustees' contractors are at present 
vigorously engaged in excavating a space of ground upon the 
south side of the river, near Govan, for the construction of a 
large graving dock. 



SHIPBUILDING ON THE CLYDE. 

The anticipations expressed in my report for 1868 — based 
chiefly upon the quantity of tonnage found to be under contract 
at its close — of a prosperous career for the Clyde shipbuilders 
during 1869 have been more than amply realised. The extent 
of shipbuilding executed on the Clyde in 1864, which has hitherto 
been regarded as a year presenting features of its own which 
varied in such a marked degree from the ordinary or average 
course of business, as to place it altogether in a position of its 
own, has actually been surpassed, although with much absence of 
ostentation, in the year which has just now elapsed. 

The "wooden walls of old England" seem to have come to be 
sadly disrespected here — utilitarian fact has rudely superseded what 
was erst recognised as a glorious history, but now as a somewhat 
sentimental theory — and iron maintains an undisputed throne. 
Of all the enormous mass of tonnage enumerated in the fol- 
lowing list, and presenting a money value of above four millions 
sterling of new tonnage launched during the year, there appears, 
in all the returns supplied to me — and they range over the 
entire river from Kutherglen to Greenock — but one solitary vessel 
composed of wood, and no doubt the particular duties to which 
she may be devoted render that material the more eligible one. 

The list presents as usual merely a summary of results, for the 
details themselves would fill very many pages, but the conditions 
upon, which I have always asked for returns from the various 
shipbuilders on the river, preclude me from being more minute. 
I have undeviatingly adhered to my promise made in this respect 



76 



to these gentlemen ; and the unhesitating promptitude with which 
they annually reply to my circular, affords a sufficient proof 
of their satisfaction with the mode in which their confidence 
has been guarded. No eyes but my own examine their returns, 
and to no eye nor ear has there ever been communicated a 
single fact beyond what is thus published. The only matter 
in which there has been a shadow of reticence has been on 
the part of two very high standing firms, who, for private 
reasons, have declined, but politely, to furnish particulars of the 
vessels for which they were under contract at the close of the 
year. In order, however, to complete the annual returns, I have 
estimated, from reasonably reliable data, and have included in the 
list of vessels under contract, the figures I deemed requisite to 
furnish the means of comparison with preceding years. 

NEW VESSELS LAUNCHED OX THE CLYDE DURING 
THE YEAR 1369. 

Iron Steamers under 100 tons each, . 

„ from 100 to 500 tons each, 

„ „ 500 „ 1000 

„ 1000 „ 2000 „ 

„ 2000 „ 3000 „ 
„ „ 3000 and upwards, 



74 65,4,57 



3,618 



Iron Sailing Ships under 500 tons each,' 
from 500 to 1000 „ 
„ 1000 „ 2000 „ 

Composite SrEAMERs'under 500 tons each, 
500 to 1000 „ 
„ 1000 „ 2000 „ 

Composite Sailing Ships under 500 tons each 
500 to 1000 
1000 „ 2000 

13 10,777 

Wooden Paddle Steamer, 1 70 

"Wooden Sailing Vessels, 0 0 

Armour-Clad War-Ships, — " Audacious," and 

" Invincible," . . . (Builders' Tonnage), 2 7,540 
Light-Ship, 1 248 



9 


539 


28 


7,685 


26 


18,874 


24 


33,315 


8 


21,965 


10 


22 222 


12 


2,874 


32 


23.932 


30 


38,601 


3 


9S1 


2 


1,132 


1 


1,505 


, 3 


753 


5 


4,369 


5 


5,655 



105 104,600 



202 192,310 



77 



Of all the numerous vessels forming this array, by much the 
most interesting are the great armour-plated war-ships, the "Auda- 
cious" and " Invincible," which are twin vessels in every respect. 
The former was launched on 29th February, and the latter 
on the 29th May. A few brief details will present some idea of 
their enormous power, and of course one description applies to both. 
The length between perpendiculars is 280 feet; the extreme depth, 
54 feet, and the builders' tonnage of each is 3,775, within a frac- 
tion. They are fitted with twin screws and engines of 800 
horse-power. Their armour is a formidable affair, consisting in 
the first place of a belt of iron, 8 inches thick, which covers the 
entire vicinity of the water line, excepting at either extremity of 
the ship, where the weight is reduced somewhat. The sides of 
the ships and the battery, which latter occupies the centre of the 
vessel are cased in armour six inches thick, with a backing of Indian 
teak, ten inches thick, supported by a double plating of iron, which 
is in all one and a quarter inch thick, connected with strong iron 
girders and internal frame. The armament is to consist of six prodi- 
gious 12J ton guns, placed upon the main deck, with four 6-4 
pounders, upon the upper deck, but all these are within the battery 
and so arranged that the whole ten guns can be employed at one 
moment; and in addition, four 12J ton guns placed on the upper 
deck, clear of the battery. To launch such ponderous masses 
upon our comparatively narrow stream, and with perfect success, 
is a triumph of mechanical art which has long been characteristic 
of our local shipbuilders. 

In connection with the preceding table of the launches of 
1869, I now beg to exhibit an abstract of the list of vessels 
which were either actually in process of being constructed, or 
were under contract for construction, at the close of 1869. The 
particulars were obtained in the same way as were those of the 
vessels launched. The amount is, as has been already remarked, 
somewhat larger than on any previous occasion. 



[Vessels in Peocess] 



78 



VESSELS IN PROCESS OF CONSTRUCTION OR CONTRACTED FOR 

AT 31st DECEMBER, 1869. 



Iron Steamers, — ranging from 50 up to 3,160 



tons each, 


80 


121,000 


„ Sailing Ships, 


15 


14,640 


Composite Steamers, .... 


1 


1,120 


„ Sailing Ship, 


1 


1,166 


Wooden Steamers, .... 


0 


0 


„ Sailing Ship, 


1 


135 


Armour-clad War- Ship, — " Hotspur," 


1 


2,638 


Iron Hopper Barges, 


3 


300 




102 


140,999 



Thus we find that the Clyde maintains her proud pre-eminence 
in shipbuilding, and not only did 1869 produce a larger amount 
of tonnage than any year in her annals, but after a period 
of such remarkable development, actually presents a somewhat 
heavier list of tonnage, either in course of construction or con- 
tracted for at the close of the period, than at any previous cor- 
responding date. I need not again and again revert to a 
discussion of the causes which lead to the unquestionable pre- 
ference which so many shipowners direct to the Clyde, yet it 
is obvious that it cannot arise from any feeling of mere personal 
favour, but from a very decided experience of the advantages that 
accrue to themselves that they give this preference, — a preference 
that, in fact, makes " virtue its own reward." 

The following brief table summarizes at one glance the progress 
of shipbuilding on the Clyde for the last seven years. The 
figures are taken from my own annual Eeports, and I have more 
than once explained the careful and trustworthy nature of these 
abstracts. . 

SHIPBUILDING ON THE CLYDE 1863-1869. 

Amount of new Tonnage Amount of new Tonnage 

Year. launched on the stocks or 

during the year. under contract at 31st Dec. 

of each year. 

1863 124,000 140,000 

1864 178,505 105,957 

1865 153,932 109,404 

1866 124,513 71,869 

1867 108,024 124,082 

1868 169,571 134,818 

1869 192,310 140,999 



79 



These few lines occupy but a small space, yet they furnish 
the substance of a very extensive mass of figures, and possibly 
some readers may scarcely be prepared to realize the prodigious 
importance of the great branch of industry represented by these 
seven lines. Yet the tonnage thus exhibited amounts to 1,050,855, 
and its value may be reckoned at considerably more than twenty 
millions sterling. 

I have no means of ascertaining the amount of tonnage con- 
structed upon the banks of the Thames or of the Mersey; but 
it is well understood that there has been a very unhappy falling 
off in the prosperity of the building yards connected with the 
former river, into the discussion of the causes of which I do 
not feel at liberty to enter. I have, however, obtained the 
returns applicable to two other important shipbuilding rivers, the 
Wear and the Tyne, and I beg to append the following table 
applicable to these two during the seven years which are in- 
cluded in the statement just now presented. The Clyde may 
well be satisfied with holding somewhat more than her own. 

THE WEAR. THE TYNE (including BLYTH). 



Year. 


Tonnage Launched. 


Year. 


Tonnage Launched. 


1863 


70,140 


1863 


29,714 


1864 


71,987 


1864 


29,968 


1865 


73,134 


1865 


33,087 


1866 


62,719 


1866 


31,453 


1867 


52,249 


1867 


16,224 


1868 


66,790 


1868 


25,694 


1869 


71,547 


1869 


33,158 



During 1869, the vessels thus launched upon the Wear averaged 
591 tons each, upon the Tyne (and Blyth), 592 tons each, and 
upon the Clyde, 952 tons each. 



SHIPOWNING AT GLASGOW. 
During the past year the amount of tonnage standing in the 
registers of the Customhouse has made some considerable advance, 



80 



as exhibited in a nett increase of 26 vessels, representing 24,998 
tons. I have said nett increase, for the mere increase represents 
but a small portion of the operations required to constitute it. 
The following table exhibits the process, and it will thence be 
gathered, that while on the one hand, there were lost, sold, or 
transferred, as many as 123 ships, with a burthen of 45,755 tons, 
there were, on the other hand, added 149 vessels, with an aggre- 
gate burthen of 70,753 tons, — thus accounting, after the deduction 
of 123 tons lost by difference on remeasurement, for the amount 
of advance stated in the preceding sentence. 



ABSTRACT OF THE STATE OF SHIPPING AT THE PORT OF 
GLASGOW" FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st DECEMBER, 1869. 

Ships. Tons. 

Total amount as at 31st December, 1868, . . 858 378,458 
Struck off, viz. : — 

Ships. Tons. 

Vessels lost, burnt at sea, or missing. . 27 13,261 
Broken up, .... 13 5,661 
Sold to foreigners, . . .23 7,372 
,, to British Government, . 3 363 
Registered anew at this port, . 43 11,235 
Transferred to other ports, . 14 7,616 
Difference in tonnage on remeasurement, 247 



123 45,755 



Added — 

New Vessels, 80 48,283 

Vessels registered anew at this port, . 44 13,552 

„ Transferred from other ports, 25 8,918 



735 332,703 



149 70,753 
Remaining registered, .... 884 403,456 



There, consequently, now stand upon the registers as the pro- 
perty of Glasgow owners, 884 vessels, with an aggregate burthen 
of 403,456 tons, and these are divided as to motive power in 
the following proportions : — 



81 



Steamers registered, 303, with a tonnage of 116,842 
Sailing ships do., 581, do. do. 286,614 

Total, 884, do. do. 403,456 

If we compare these average tonnages with that of the total 
launches of the year, it at once becomes obvious bow great a. 
proportion of the larger ships which are constructed upon the 
Clyde must have been built for strangers or foreigners, or at least 
for owners not belonging to Glasgow. 

In connection with the preceding table of the ships enumerated 
in the register of Glasgow, I beg to present the following view 
of the position of the register from 1810, when Glasgow was first 
regarded as entitled to a register, down to the present day. The 
figures require no comment, they speak sufficiently for themselves. 



SHIPS ON THE REGISTER AT GLASGOW ON 31st DECEMBER 
of 1810 to 1869. 



Year. 


No. 


Tonnage. 


Year. 


No. 


Tonnage. 


1810 


24 


1,956 


1863 


741 


262,418 


1820 


77 


6,131 


1864 


780 


296,665 


1830 


217 


39,432 


1865 


815 


329,752 


1841 


431 


95,062 


1866 


807 


332,353 


1851 


508 


145,684 


1867 


834 


352,595 


1861 


679 


218,684 


1868 


858 


378,458 


1862 


701 


235,430 


1869 


884 


403,456 



The remaining tables connected with the port of Glasgow which 
I have to lay before you, have reference to the number and 
tonnage of the vessels frequenting the harbour. The first exhibits 
the number of vessels and their aggregate tonnage, distinguishing 
sailing from steam vessels, which have arrived from 1831 down 
to 1869 — not for each year of that long period, but for every 
tenth year during the earlier portion, and for each of the last 
nine years individually. The development of steam navigation 
finds ample illustration in the following figures. Even in the year 
1831, the application of steam had attained a very decided prepon- 



82 



derance in the operations of this particular port ; but although the 

number of sailing vessels was considerably more than one-half of that 
of the steam arrivals, their tonnage amounted to only one-third. 
In 1869 the proportion of sailing vessels had decreased to a little 
more than one-fourth, yet the proportion of their tonnage still 
remained at about one-third. But while the actual number of 
sailing vessels has fallen off considerably, their aggregate tonnage 
has greatly increased ; and on the other hand, the actual arrivals 
of steam ships have greatly increased, and their aggregate tonnage 
has also very greatly increased. 



SHIPPING AKEIVALS AT GLASGOW, 1831 to 1869. 





Sailing Vessels. 


Steam Vessels. 


Total. 


Tear. 
















No. 


Tonnage. 


No. 


Tonnage. 


No 


Tonnage. 


1831, 


4,005 


186,576 


7,537 


545,751 


11^542 


732,327 


1841, 


5,785 


314,262 


9,421 


828,111 


15,206 


1,142,373 


1851, 


6,212 


424,785 


11,062 


1,021,821 


17,274 


1,446,606 


1861, 


4,804 


474,740 


11,281 


1,029,480 


16,085 


1,504,220 


1862, 


4,573 


478,189 


11,291 


1,052,453 


15,864 


1,530,642 


1863,. 


4,620 


491,797 


10,555 


1,035,982 


15,175 


1,527,779 


1864, 


4,569 


483,305 


9,962 


1,044,934 


14,531 


1,528,239 


1865, 


4,499 


457,774 


11,856 


1,261,284 


16,355 


1,719,058 


1866, . 


4,113 


463,736 


12,612 


1,400,464 


16,725 


1,864,200 


1867, 


3,732 


448,419 


11,433 


1,334,453 


15,165 


1,782,872 


1863, 


3,711 


482,163 


11,710 


1,366,970 


15,421 


1,849,138 


1869, 


3,452 


475,653 


12,255 


1,440,804 


15,707 


1,916,507 



The next table in connection with shipping exhibits the pro- 
portions as to tonnage of the various vessels which entered the 
harbour during each of the years enumerated in the preceding 
table. The results are curious. Vessels under 40 tons have 
very greatly increased during the period ; those of 40 to 60 
are almost unchanged ; those of 60 to 80 have greatly fallen off; 
while all the remainder from 80 up to beyond 1000 tons have 
advanced in number, the greatest proportional advance being in 
the heaviest tonnage. 



83 



DETAILED NUMBER AND TONNAGE OF SHIPPING ARRIVALS 
AT GLASGOW, 1831 to 1869. 







Aft 


60 


80 


100 


150 


200 


250 


300 


350 


400 


450 


500 


600 


700 


1 000 


Year. 


U 40 C1 


to 


to 


to 


to 


to 


to 


to 


to 


to 


to 


to 


to 


to 


to 


and 




Tons. 


60. 


B0. 


100. 


150. 


200. 


250. 


300. 


350. 


400. 


450. 


500. 
" 


600. 



700. 


1000 


upw. 


1831 


1824 


2850 


4711 


1301 


183 


16 


6 


3 


















1841 


3432 


3965 


2758 


3139 


899 


292 


179 


235 


81 


73 


63 


18 


69 


3 






1851 


4779 


2419 


3515 


4095 


683 


543 


251 


269 


154 


270 


108 


45 


102 


19 


18 


4 


1861 


5068 


2419 


3862 


1458 


748 


624 


496 


353 


326 


150 


272 


77 


78 


35 


90 


29 


1862 


4886 


2434 


3436 


1448 


1065 


661 


461 


409 


361 


167 


183 


114 


63 


32 


96 


48 


1863 


4635 


2422 


3133 


1439 


880 


565 


458 


531 


377 


119 


242 


121 


67 


40 


100 


46 


1864 


4547 


2592 


2781 


1252 


645 


590 


363 


432 


393 


101 


355 


202 


85 


37 


86 


70 


1865 


4962 


2388 


3304 


1640 


767 


534 


339 


427 


371 


244 


313 


244 


127 


45 


62 


88 


1866 


4949 


2610 


3446 


1454 


1149 


641 


390 


439 


321 


247 


272 


420 


175 


36 


75 


101 


1867 


4332 


2796 


2568 


1349 


963 


565 


432 


405 


470 


193 


638 


128 


107 


35 


88 


96 


1868 


4575 


2702 


2499 


1643 


893 


363 


484 


390 


516 


184 


654 


87 


156 


50 


111 


114 


1869 


4274 


2845 


2922 


1800 


807 


286 


421 


422 


837 


133 


601 


176 


170 


50 


131 


132 



The last table which I propose to offer in connexion with the 
river and its traffic, is that which exhibits the amount of custom 
duties received during the last year; in combination with a com- 
parative statement of the amount collected during each of the ten 
preceding years. Both Glasgow and Greenock exhibit a falling off 
in amount when compared with the year immediately preceding, but 
the causes are capable of an easy explanation. In each of these 
ports the duties upon sugar form a very important item of the 
customs' receipts, and unfortunately, there occurred in the former 
port, the suspension of one of the most extensive refineries in the 
district, while in the latter, the almost unprecedented drought of the 
autumn caused for a period an entire cessation of refining operations, 
through the absence of water. The authorities finding the means 
of supply to be in danger, reduced, in the first instance, the domestic 
supply, as well as that for manufacturing requirements, and when 
greater danger seemed imminent, they further reduced the former, 
and stopped altogether for a time the supply to the public factories. 
To one uninitiated, it might well present a puzzle difficult of solution, 



84 



how the peculiar local circumstances of any port can possibly affect 
the arrival of ships already upon the voyage to it as their destina- 
tion, and consequently the amount of customs' receipts. A little 
explanation will however simplify the matter, especially as regards 
Greenock which is one of the greatest sugar emporia of the king- 
dom, and it is this : — The refiners, in the great majority of in- 
stances, do not themselves import their raw material direct from 
the ports ' of shipment, but purchase such cargoes as they require, 
either when afloat, or after their arrival at the "port of call," 
which the shippers may have selected. Queenstown is now the 
most convenient of these ports of call, and upon a ship's arrival 
there, the telegraph and the post-office afford immediate means of 
communication — the shipper's agent or the owner of the cargo 
and the purchaser are then placed in a position to negotiate, and 
as a matter of course, if the Greenock refiner is, as in this case, 
through the absence of water supply, placed in a temporarily 
helpless position to manufacture, he declines to entertain the trans- 
saction at all, and the cargo must find some other outlet. It does not 
appear to me that any further elucidation of this subject is required. 



CUSTOMS DUTIES COLLECTED UPON THE CLYDE DURING ELEVEN 
YEARS, FROM 1839~to 1869. 



Port. 


1859. 


1860. 


1861. 




£814,142 5 2 
808,842 1 4 
70,389 11 8 


£883,971 10 0 
801,573 3 1 
54,890 14 6 


£924,505 1 11 
907,700 16 10 
129,678 0 7 


1,693,373 18 2 


1,740,435 7 7 


1,961,883 19 4 


Port. 


1862. 


1863. 


1864. 




£955,760 19 11 
1,111,330 9 9 
125,563 8 0 


£983,990 10 3 
1,233,985 13 10 
140,423 2 11 


£967,263 16 11 
1,058,354 12 4 
107,184 16 10 


2,192,654 17 8 


2,358,399 7 0 


2,132,803 6 1 



85 



Port. 


1865. 


1866. 


1867. 




£788,956 17 9 
1,235,847 18 4 
100,594 7 8 


£933,057 9 5 
1,440,884 7 7 
106,539 2 8 


£1,202,097 4 9 
1,499,900 14 G 
53,310 1 9 


2,125,399 3 9 


Z540U540U iy 0 




Port. 


1869. 


1368. 




£1,185,753 19 10 


£1,352,246 12 5 
1,471,999 6 1 
5,319 2 10 




1,366,226 6 11 
5,640 0 0 






2,557,620 6 9 


2,829,565 1 4 



Yet even this contribution of £2,557,620 6s. 9d. stands in the 
very creditable position of furnishing almost one-eighth part of 
the whole Customs duties levied in the United Kingdom during 
1869 ; and any one who entertains doubt upon the matter can 
easily verify the assertion by applying the sum named to that 
of £22,224,203, which was the gross produce of the Customs 
duties during the year. 



THE SUGAR TRADE OF THE CLYDE. 

The year 1869 has not maintained the steady progress which 
this interesting branch of industry had for many years exhibited 
upon the banks of the Clyde, but pre-eminently in the port of 
Greenock. Indeed, the imports during the year have scarcely 
exceeded those of 1865 ; and similarly the quantity taken out 
of bond, that is to say, for consumption, has scarcely amounted 
to that of 1866. At the same time, it is satisfactory to find 
that the stock remaining in bond on 31st December is, with 
the exception of 1867, the lowest of the last eight years. But 
when treating of the Customs receipts, I have adverted to the 
baneful effects of the drought of last autumn upon this branch 

L 



86 

of trade, and its mode of influencing the market. Besides, the 
effects are not merely transient, as might "be fancied, and to be 
remedied as soon as the cause is removed ; for during suspension 
of the operations of trade, consumers find their way into other 
channels, where a portion of them may continue, and so a partial 
derangement may lead to permanent inconvenience, but there is 
every prospect that the elastic spirit of the Clyde trade will 
speedily restore matters to their former position. 

Of the following tables (for most of the interesting particulars 
contained in which I am indebted to the monthly and annual returns 
by Messrs. William Connal & Co., as well as to kind personal com- 
munications), the first exhibits the quantities imported during the 
year, direct from the various countries enumerated, and furnishes a 
comparison with the five preceding years, and also with 1855. 



DIRECT IMPORTS OF SUGAR INTO THE CLYDE FROM ABROAD 
from 1855 to 1869. 

From British West India Colonies — 

1855. 1SG4. 1865. 1866. 1867. 1S68. 1869. 

Hhds., . . 23,792 30,976 30,483 37,882 40,421 49,149 49,719 

Tierces,. . 2,965 5,062 5,432 6,396 6,227 6,689 7,521 

Barrels, . 5,591 5,092 6,957 8,179 6,591 7,621 9,577 

Bags, . . 160 2,530 3,203 2,209 3,533 3,398 1,602 



From Mauritius and Bengal — 
Bags, . . 171,319 127,381 155,825 17L850 108,396 155,851 81,340 

From Foreign Countries — 

Hhds., . . 5,308 49,393 45,673 28,465 45,558 51,798 47,809 

Tierces, . 25 2,033 2,609 2,133 2,851 2,883 3,738 

Barrels, . 635 3,846 5,259 6,060 5,310 4,872 1,936 

Basketf } 73 > 667 22S > 043 1^2,303 170,752 273,122 267,220 176,922 

Bags, . . 14,662 202,034 307,393 348,606 302,869 279,877 277,218 

Cases, . . 1,995 3,658 15,343 9,435 6,058 10,756 5,193 

Beet-Root Sugar from the Continent — 
Tons, . . 4,599 17,700 25,285 31,072 22,746 14,151 



87 



The second table exhibits a consecutive series of figures, extend- 
ing back for fifteen years, distinguishing the quantities imported 
and consumed during each year, as well as the stocks on hand 
and the prices ruling and the Customs duties leviable, as at the 
close of each year. 



RAW SUGAR IMPORTS, PRICES, &c, from 1855 to 1869. 



Year. 


Stock in Bond 
at 1st January. 


Imports 
of the Year. 


Quantity taken 
out of Bond. 


Prices D.P. of 
Good Bwn. Sgr. 


Duty upon 
Paw Sugar. 


1855 


Tons. 
11,956 


Tons. 
42,307 


Tons. 


Per Cwt. 
4n/6 AG/ 


Pkr Cwt. 
13/9 15/ 


1856 


8,631 


34,308 


37,923 


51/ 51/6 


Do. 


1857 


2,459 


43,702 


38,336 


41/ 41/6 


12/8 13/10 


1858 


4,455 


60,578 


56J69 


42/6 43/ 


Do. 


1859 


5,488 


71,093 


69,991 


41/6 42/ 


Do. 


1860 


5,312 


74,003 


75,087 


42/ 42/6 


Do. 


1861 


3,963 


91,991 


88,694 


37/6 38/ 


Do. 


. 1862 


7,149 


119,827 


106,748 


36/ 36/6 


Do. 


1863 


18,031 


126,625 


12], 044 


44/ 44/6 


Do. 


1864 


22,507 


129,074 


126,061 


35/ 35/6 


8/2 9/4 10/6 


1865 


24,306 


144,009 


136,540 


37/ 


Do. 


1866 


29,648 


147,587 


162,368 


35/ 35/6 . 


Do. 


1867 


13,788 


178,812 


178,013 


36/ 


8/ 9/7 10/6* 


1868 


14,340 


183,156 


171,876 


34/ 


Do. 


1869 


25,629 


141,657 


156,023 


38/ 


Do. 


1870 


13,886 











* Prom 1st May, 1867. 



BEET-ROOT SUGAR. 
The imports of this article have likewise fallen off during 1869, 
and present the lowest figures of any year since this trade made 
an important stride in 1865. The quantity has only amounted 
to 1.4,151 tons, and of course the imports of this article have 
been affected by the general position of the trade, as well as by 
the fact that refiners had always a sufficient command of cane 
sugar, and were not necessitated to make use of any other. The 
production of beet-root sugar makes progress upon the Continent, 
the estimated produce of crop 1869-70 being 725,000 tons, a 
quantity, the enormous importance of which will become more 
obvious when I mention that the entire consumption of sugar in 
the United Kingdom was, in 1869, only 589,758 tons. Of these 



S3 



725,000 tons, France was expected to produce 240,000; the 
German Union, 207,500 ; Kussia, 100,000 ; Austria, 92,500 ; 
Belgium, 40,000; Poland and Sweden, 32,500; and Holland, 
12,500. Thus, no country was in a condition at all approaching 
to an independence of foreign supplies. The following summary 
gives the quantities annually imported into the Clyde during each 
of the last twelve years : — 

4,599 tons. 
17,700 „ 
25,285 „ 
31,072 „ 
22,746 „ 
14,151 „ 

The Chancellor of the Exchequer proposes to reduce the sugar 
duties by one-half in each case. If this is done precisely, or 
even approximately, it will involve inconvenience as well as loss 
in some quarter ; for it always is an unsatisfactory matter to 
make fiscal changes on any article where the duty is levied by 
one measure and the majority of the consumption is guided by 
another. In the case of sugar the duty is levied per cwt., while 
nine-tenths of the consumers necessarily purchase by the pound; 
and no arithmetical contrivance, even of Mr. Lowe, can equitably 
divide 48, or 57 J, or 63 pence over 112 lbs. — the dealer must 
either charge too much or too little. 



1858, 


. 2,500 tons. 


1864, 


1859, 


. 2,241 „ 


1865, 


1860, 


. 7,806 „ 


1866, 


1861, 


. 1,700 „ 


1867, 


1862, 


. 9,085 „ 


1868, 


1863, 


. 9,338 „ 


1869, 



TEA AND TOBACCO. 
The concluding table which I now submit connected with our own 
trade or navigation, exhibits the quantity of tea and tobacco upon 
which the customs duties have been paid upon the Clyde, for the 
considerable period of fifteen years. During that period the con- 
sumption of tea has almost become doubled, but tobacco has by no 
means preserved an equal pace, and I must leave any theory or 
explanation as to this latter subject to others who may choose to 
enter the lists of controversy, for I have formerly been under the 
necessity of meeting correspondence upon this subject, which I have 
neither leisure nor desire to resume. 



89 



TEA AND TOBACCO UPON WHICH DUTY HAS BEEN PAID ON 
THE CLYDE DURING FIFTEEN YEARS. 





Tea. 


Toliacco. 


1855, 


Lis. 3,441,272 


Lis. 1,594,818 


1856, 


3,287,085 


1,603,090 


1857, 


3,886,350 


1,538,693 


1858, 


3,974,711 


1,585,619 


1859, 


4,014,483 


1,609,149 


1860, 


4,071,328 


1,664,278 


1861, 


4,077,774 


1,668,959 


1862, 


4,177,502 


1,775,173 


1863, 


4,634,370 


1,867,524 


1864, 


4,696,268 


1,956,682 


1865, 


5,504,351 


2,017,998 


1866, 


5,802,719 


2,178,228 


1867, 


6,149,902 


2,249,307 


1868, 


5,836,524 


2,409,550 


1869, 


6,313,754 


2,459,433 



In last Eeport I called attention to a curious fact that, in four of 
the chief towns in Scotland, the year 1868 had shown a remarkable 
diminution in the consumption of tea. The reader will now find, on 
referring to the ninety-first page, that a similar experience has applied 
to the kingdom at large. In fact the consumption as compared with 
that of the previous year, fell off by upwards of four million pounds, 
or about seventeen hundred tons — no trifling measure. The past 
year has, however, somewhat restored the proportions, and the 
quantity has exceeded that of 1868 by nearly five millions of 
pounds. The four Scotch ports I have alluded to have taken off 
their fair share of the increase as the following statement proves : — 

DUTY PAID ON TEA IN 1868 AND 1869. 



1868. 1869. 

Glasgow, . Lbs. 5,836,524 6,313,754 

Leith, . „ 2,708,031 2,872,856 

Aberdeen, . „ 855,987 887,231 

Dundee, . „ 564,887 615,911 



I do not see my way to offer an explanation of this falling off in 
the demand for tea in 1868, any more than for a similar experience 
with regard to sugar, for it also receded, although not to a great 
extent, more especially as in each case the advance in cost was quite 
trivial, yet in sugar considerably greater than in tea. 



90 



SUGAR, TEA, AND COFFEE. 
Before finally parting with these interesting subjects, I beg to 
avail myself of a very instructive return of the quantities, prices, 
duties, and average individual consumption of each article in the 
United Kingdom during each of the last eight years. For more 
convenient inspection, I have somewhat re-arranged the return, 
which will be found to occupy the entire space of the opposite 
page. The following is the estimate of the Population upon 
which the calculations are founded : — 



Estimated Population 
Year. of the 

United Kingdom. 

1862, 29,204,983 

1863, 29,395,051 

1864, . . . . . . 29,566,316 

1865, 29,768,089 

1866, 29,946,058 

1867, . . . . . . 30,157,473 

1868, 30,380,787 

1869, 30,611,305 



An inspection of the opposite table elicits the fact that although 
the price of sugar to the consumer, including duty, has only fallen 
during the eight years from 35s. to 34s. 6d. per cwt., while 
exhibiting many fluctuations during the period, the average con- 
sumption by each individual has advanced from 36 up to 43 lbs. 
Then as to tea, the great fall from 36-^1. to 23|d. has stimu- 
lated the consumption from 43 ounces up to 58 ounces for each 
individual. On the other hand, so capricious is taste, that with a fall 
in coffee, from Hy^-d. to 9|-|d. per lb., the average individual con- 
sumption has receded from 19 to 15 ounces, and notwithstanding an 
increase of above 1,400,000 in the population, the actual quantity of 
coffee consumed is greatly less than it was seven years ago. 

* In reading the column which exhibits the amount of duty 
received, it may be well to notice, that in the case of sugar, 
the sums given are the nett revenue after deducting any " Draw- 
backs'' which were allowed upon sugar exported ; and in the 
case of coffee, it is similarly the nett revenue after deducting 
the drawbacks allowed upon roasted coffee exported as ships' 
stores. 



91 



SUGAR. 



Year. 


Quantity 
Consumed 
in. the 
United 
Kingdom. 


* 

Amount 
of Duty 
received 
thereon. 


Kate of 
Duty paid 

by the 
Consumer. 


Average 
Price in 
Bond. 


Price, 
inclusive 
of 
Duty. 


Average 
Quantity 
Consumed 
by each 
Individual 

of the 
Population. 


1862 


9,379,818 


6,215,346 


3j s. a. 
0 13 3 


£ 
1 


s. d. 

2 6 


3^ s. a. 
1 15 9 


7 At. 

36 


18S3 


9,452,794 


6,249,815 


0 13 3 


1 


1 10 


1 15 1 


36 


1864 


9,736,657 


5,157,083 


0 10 7 


1 


7 6 


1 18 1 


37 


1865 


10,603,526 


5,193,816 


0 9 10 


1 


2 9 


1 12 7 


40 


1866 


11,065,239 


5,390,962 


0 9 9 


1 


0 11 


1 10 8 


41 


1867 


11,692,519 


5,584,659 


0 9 7 


1 


2 6 


1 12 1 


43 


1868 


11,479,706 


5,425,181 


0 9 6 


I 


3 2 


1 12 8 


42 


1869 


11,739,094 


5,383,652 


0 9 2 


1 


5 4 


1 14 6 


43 


TEA. 


1862 


Lbs. 
78,793,977 


£ 

5,581,262 


s. d. 
1 5 


1 


d. 

7 3 
' 10 


s. d. 

3 


Lbs. oz. 
2 11 


1863 


85,183,280 


4,651,495 


1 1 


1 


w 


2 7fJ 


2 14 


1864 


88,599,235 


4,429,991 


1 0 


1 




2 6£ 


3 0 


1865 


97,834,600 


3,187,130 


o n 


1 


n 


2 S| 


3 5 


1866 


102,265,531 


2,556,714 


0 6 


1 




2 li 


3 7 


1867 


110,988,209 


2,774,774 


0 6 


1 


6| 


2 0| 


3 11 


1868 


106,815,262 


2,670,629 


0 6 


1 


n 


2 1| 


3 8 


1869 


111,795,639 


2,795,162 


0 6 


1 


5| 


1 llf 


3 10 


COFFEE. 


1862 


Lbs. 
34,451,766 


* £ 
431,228 


s. d. 
0 3 


s. 
0 


d. 


s. d. 

o ii a- 


Lbs. oz. 
1 3 


1863 


32,763,095 


409,679 


0 3 


0 




0 11& 


1 2 


1864 


31,360,450 


392,152 


0 3 


0 


TA 


0 10^ 


1 1 


1865 


30,505,972 


381,556 


0 3 


0 


8 


0 11 


1 0 


1866 


30,630,236 


383,093 


0 3 


0 


n 


0 lOf 


1 0 


1867 


31,282,023 


391,082 


0 3 


0 


1 8 


0 log 


1 1 


1868 


30,356,818 


379,542 


0 3 


0 




0 9& 


1 0 


1869 


28,839,100 


360,523 


0 3 


0 




0 9}f 


0 15 



92 



EMIGRATION FROM THE CLYDE. 
The past year exhibits a very marked increase in the amount 
of emigration from the Clyde, surpassing by very much that of 
any of the six preceding years. The advance in numbers applies 
to every class without exception, but is more especially observable 
in that of male single men. Indeed, male single and married 
adults, female single and married adults, as well as male and 
female children, each and all show an increase. The increase 
applies almost wholly to persons of Scotch and Foreign nativity, 
the latter arising from arrangements made for a " through traffic" 
passage from their native countries, via Glasgow, to their des- 
tination. The United States also have resumed their former 
attractions, and of the whole number, upwards of three-fourths 
proceeded thither ; for out of 21,064, no fewer than 16,589 have 
adopted that home. Yet, after all, how trivial a proportion do 
these bear to the 254,837 alien passengers who arrived at the 
port of New York during the year 1869. 



EMIGRATION FROM THE CLYDE, 1863-69. 
Cabin Passengers — 

1863. 1864. 1865. 1866. 1867. 1868. 1869. 



Male, 483 


; Female, 187 


; 670 


„ 447; 


„ 236 


683 


„ 556 


„ 309 




„ 848. 


482 




„ 1,003. 


„ 635 




„ 940; 


„ 569 


1,509 


„ 925; 


„ 583 ; 





Steerage Passengers — 

Male Married Adults, 823 1,025 1,057 772 759 829 1,497 

Female „ „ 904 1,027 1,049 778 743 830 1,496 

Male Single „ 2,301 3,326 5,285 4,541 3,765 4,426 8,123 

Female „ „ 1,400 1,949 3,427 2,829 1,943 2,243 3,621 

Male Children, . 992 1,261 1,780 1,381 1,127 1,393 2,623 

Female „ . 907 1,123 1,814 1,222 1,103 1,215 2,196 



Total, 



7,997 10,394 15,277 12,853 11,078 12,447 21,064 



93 



EMIGRATION FROM THE CLYDE — Continued. 



Nativity — 
English, 
Scotch, 
Irish, 

Foreigners, . 
Total, 

Destination-— 
United States, 
Canada, 

New Brunswick, 
Queensland, 
Melbourne, . 
New Zealand, 
All other Places, 

Total, 



1863. 

323 
6,334 
1,189 

151 



1864. 

387 
6,206 
3,444 

357 



1865. 

1,273 
7,050 
6,738 
216 



1,161 

6,658 
4,877 
157 



1867. 

451 
8,769 
907 
951 



1868. 1869. 

290 501 

9,930 13,780 

1,075 1,308 

1,152 5,475 



7,997 10,394 15,277 12,853 11,078 12,447 21,064 



397 4,488 10,040 9,252 8,002 9,148 16,589 
3,993 2,925 2,583 2,274 1,777 1,830 2,968 
. , H2 

508 499 1,510 411 138 ? 296 

41 20 8 24 15 47 138 



2,800 2,252 
255 210 



947 
189 



698 
194 



909 
237 



1,057 

365 



811 
150 



7,997 10,394 15,277 12,853 11,078 12,447 21,064 



THE WATER SUPPLY. 

The water supply of the city maintains its accustomed perfec- 
tion, — the quality incapable of improvement, and the quantity 
practically unlimited ; for although there is supplied to every 
individual in the city, and in a very large circle around it, fifty 
gallons per day, a greatly larger quantity is still available. The 
Corporation, as Water Commissioners, have acted with a liberal 
spirit, in extending the benefit to the neighbouring towns, even 
as far as Eenfrew, but it may become a privilege difficult of 
withdrawal, should a future period arrive when an increasing 
population, but with a source of supply not also increasing, comes 
to assimilate the supply and the demand. 

I need not every year furnish comparative tables of the 
analyses of the water supplied to Glasgow and other cities, for 
I presume the question of quality as well as of supply is now on 
all hands concedsd. Yet there is a novelty of element introduced 
into the discussion, since some attention has been recently directed 
to a singular coincidence which is stated to have been observed 
as existing between the condition of the water supplied to large 
towns with respect to " hardness" and the rate of mortality ex- 
perienced. The statement seems to be based upon some foun- 

M 



94 



dation, but is it a coincidence or a result? One can hardly 
conceive that pure water can directly, or even indirectly, ever 
poison anybody, and if we renounce that idea, we are possibly 
left to the theory propounded, that the ingredients which con- 
stitute what is popularly called hardness, or, in other words, what 
is calcareous matter in water, are essential to the formation of 
animal tissues. In support of this theory it has been asserted 
that certain French savans when engaged in inquiries as to a 
water supply for the City of Paris, found that in districts furnished 
with soft water, a larger proportion of conscripts for the army 
were rejected after inspection, in consequence of imperfect de- 
velopment and stunted growth, than in districts supplied with 
hard water. What is precisely intended to be conveyed by the 
expressions, imperfect development and stunted growth, I do not 
exactly gather, but it would not seem to apply simply to a low 
standard of stature, for as far as my observation goes, the French 
army generally is composed of rather little men. But probably 
a deeper meaning is intended to be conveyed, and may have 
reference to constitutional deterioration and deficient vitality. 
Yet, if this be so, how can we connect the very high death 
rate of Glasgow with the almost perfect purity of the water 
supply, seeing that the supply in question has only been in 
existence for ten years, and cannot yet have had an opportunity, 
even if it had the power, of causing the deterioration of an 
entire community. For many years previous to the period in 
question, there could be no complaint of undue purity, and yet, 
with the exception of the year just gone by, the mortality of 
the city has, in ordinary cases, and under the experience of 
both systems maintained a tolerably steady average. The fact 
however, remains, that Glasgow, with a hardness equal to 
only three-tenths of a single unit in 100,000 parts, and Man- 
chester, with so low a rate as to range from 2 J to 3^ 
in 100,000 parts, and Edinburgh, with a rate of hardness 
ranging from 6^ to 10^- in 100,000 parts, have each a high 
death rate ; yet Bristol, with a rate of hardness of 24J, and 
London, with a rate ranging from 24 up to 29 J in 100,000 
parts each maintain a low death rate. These facts may well 
establish themselves as entitled to some further observation and 
enquiry. 



95 



In connection with this subject, and as illustrative of the re- 
markable bounty with which we are supplied, I may mention that 
four years ago, the London Water Companies made a very search- 
ing enquiry throughout the large towns of the island, with the 
view of procuring data for their guidance in a proposed change 
from their intermittent to a permanent system of supply. They 
selected the eighteen largest towns in Great Britain, and they 
found, upon investigation, that seventeen of these — for I omit 
Glasgow as being quite exceptional — comprising an aggregate 
population of five and a-half millions, were furnished with an 
average supply of exactly 28 gallons of water per head. Can 
it be within the limits of possibility that the state of our public 
health has anything to do with any combination of our enormous 
water supply, and our exceedingly moist climate ? I must leave 
that question to more competent, as well as more experienced 
observers. 



CITY FIRES IN 18 6 9. 

Following the subject of water supply, it has been usual to record 
the number of fires which have occurred during the year. Upon 
the present occasion the number exhibits a very slight increase upon 
the numbers experienced in 1868. The total number has been 280, 
of which 85 occurred in dwelling-houses. Of the whole number 
there were despatched engines and reels to 135, while of the entire 
280, so many as 145 were extinguished by the firemen without 
calling apparatus into employment. 

During the year the efficiency of the excellent Fire establishment 
has been augmented by a steam fire-engine, now for the first time 
adopted here. It was selected, after competition — and is capable of 
throwing a stream of water 140 feet high — that is, of course, in 
serene weather, for gales, or even high or adverse winds exercise a 
serious influence upon a jet of water however powerful; and steam 
can be raised in seven minutes, which means practically, instantane- 
ously, for that period of time is necessarily required in any case be- 
fore the engine can reach its destination, and the requisite fitting 
and connections of hose pipes are complete. 

The following table exhibits the number and nature of the fires 
which have occurred in Glasgow during the last fifteen years : — 



96 



FIRES IN GLASGOW DURING THE LAST FIFTEEN YEARS. 



1855. 


262, 


of which there occurred 


in dwelling-houses, 


51 


1856. 


234, 


n 


ii 


55 


67 


1857. 


268, 


n 


ii 


5J 


49 


1858. 


236, 


ii 


ii 


11 


53 


1859. 


234, 


ii 


ii 


11 


57 


1860. 


247, 


ii 


ii 


11 


61 


1861. 


200, 


ii 


ii 


11 


42 


1862. 


251, 


ii 


ii 


11 


72 


1863. 


221, 


ii 


ii 


11 


62 


1864. 


308, 


ii 


ii 


11 


105 


1865. 


344, 


ii 


ii 


11 


97 


1866. 


334, 


ii 


ii 


11 


97 


1867. 


278, 


ii 


ii 


11 


77 


1868. 


271, 


ii 


ii 


11 


83 


1869. 


280, 


ii 


ii 


11 


85 


I may add, that six of these fires occurred beyond the City boun 



daries, and were supplied with engines, &c, from the establishment. 
Of the whole number only three were of decided magnitude, viz., 
the Prince of Wales' Theatre in Cowcaddens Street, City Flour 
Mills at Port-Dundas, and a portion of the Baltic Jute Company 
Spinning Mills in Bridgeton. Seventeen others, however, were 
of some importance. 



THE GAS SUPPLY. 

The arrangements alluded to in my last Beport as being then 
in progress with a view to the Corporation acquiring the entire 
right of supplying the city with gas, have been fully carried out, 
and upon the 24th of June a Bill became law, which transferred 
the entire funds and powers of the Glasgow Gas Company, and 
the City and Suburban Gas Company to the Corporation. 

The amount of capital of the former company thus absorbed 
was £215,000, the rate of annuity being fixed at £9 per cent, on 
£150,000 thereof, and £6 15s. on £65,000; and that of the latter 
was £200,000, the rate of annuity being £9 per cent, on £150,000, 
and £6 15s. on £50,000; and since the 31st of May the former 
company's interests, and since the 30th June the latter company's 
interests, have become entirely transferred. 



97 



The transfer not having existed yet for a whole year, I am 
unable to furnish exact particulars of the annual consumption of 
gas, but it cannot vary very far from somewhat above a thousand 
millions of cubic feet, distributed through 94,000 meters. 

The price remains unaltered, @ 4s. 7d. per 1,000 cubic feet, 
with free meters and the same scale of varying discounts as for- 
merly. This privilege of the free use of meters is estimated as 
worth fivepence per thousand cubic feet, and the discount is cal- 
culated to be equal, upon an average also to 5d. per 1,000 cubic feet. 



THE NATIONAL SECURITY SAVINGS BANK. 
This admirable institution pursues the prosperous tenor of its 
way, and maintains its proud position of standing, in respect of 
the number of depositors, at the head of all the savings banks 
in the empire, but it may be added that with the exception 
of the Savings Bank in St. Martin's Place, London, which had a 
prior existence by some twenty years, it stands likewise the foremost 
in point of deposits. The Post Office Savings Bank is a coadjutor 
and assistant in a worthy cause, but the field was previously so 
exceedingly well occupied and cultivated, that in this particular 
locality it was not required, and is not appreciated to the extent 
to which its own merits entitle it. The National Security Savings 
Bank, whose detailed statistics I do not require to present every 
year, has added to its nett number of separate accounts during 
1869, so many as 5,332 ; and the funds which it held at the 
close of its financial year, — viz., on 20th November, 1869, at 
the credit of its depositors, amounted to the large sum of 
£1,496,784 19s. 6d. The handsome building in which it is 
situated, and which cost £14,000, will in the course of another 
year stand free of debt, and it is to be hoped that the prosperity 
of this noble institution will proceed uninterruptedly. 

It is, however, worthy of note that it was reserved for the 
present Chancellor of the Exchequer — notwithstanding his pro- 
fessedly popular proclivities — to be the first minister who has 
ever placed an impediment in the way of the progress of the 
savings banks. It is, of course, sufficiently well known that, 



98 



with the exception of a working balance retained in the hands 
of the bank for everyday use, the mass of deposits is lodged 
with the Government, — hence the appellation cf the institution. 
" National Security." Upon these deposits the Government has, 
ever since 1844, allowed interest at the rate of 3 J per cent, per 
annum. Mr. Lowe, however, grudges this rate of interest, and 
proposes to reduce it to 3 per cent., with, as he says, a view to 
economy — the reasons assigned being that the country sustains 
a loss by the higher rate — but possibly the actuating reason is 
that for the moment the position of the money market may enable 
him to borrow upon terms more favourable by a trifle. 

Previous to 1844, the rates allowed by the Government to the 
Savings Banks were possibly too high, — viz., from 1818 to 1828, 
£4 lis. 3d. per cent., and from 1829 to 1844, £3 16s. 0Jd. 
per cent.; but even if the depositors from 1818 to 1844 were 
paid too much, is that any good reason for offering the indus- 
trious and frugal people of the present day too little? 

Yet there are fortunately more authorities tban one to be appealed 
to upon this subject. Mr. Lowe asserts that the Savings Banks cost 
the nation a loss of £125,000 a-year, but he pays no regard to 
the economical terms upon which, upon many occasions, the Go- 
vernment had the privilege of employing the Savings Bank 
deposits, nor to the fact that the loss he now exhibits is entirely 
attributable to a deficiency incurred between the years 1817 and 
1844, and kept standing against the Banks with accumulating 
interest. On the other hand, let us hear what Mr. Gladstone 
Fays upon this subject, and his authority is at the very least quite 
equal to Mr. Lowe's, and the following are the expressions which 
he made use of on the 8th April, 1861 : — " The money deposited with 
Government by Savings Banks has enabled successive Adminis- 
trations to effect an economy in the management of public money, 
transcending ten times over the charge the State has been put 
to." " Without the use of Savings Bank money, Mr. Goulbourn's 
suggestion in 1844 could not have been carried out, and we 
should now (1861) have been paying an extra £1,200,000 a-year 
for the interest of the National Debt." It is obvious that some 
one of these eminent authorities must be very remarkably in the 
wrong. 



99 



THE PENNY SAVINGS BANKS. 
These bumble but admirable institutions are likewise prose- 
cuting a career of unostentatious prosperity, and several new estab- 
lishments have been opened during the year. The success of 
the system in this neighbourhood has induced its adoption in 
several other towns, such as Liverpool and Greenock. In the 
97 Penny Banks situated in and around Glasgow, there have 
been, during the year, 360,887 separate transactions ; the money 
lodged has amounted to £15,687, and that withdrawn to £8,819 ; 
and there was transferred to the National Security Savings Bank, 
in depositors' own names, a sum amounting to £6,351. At the 
close of the financial year, the number of open accounts was 
found to be 35,271, with a balance belonging to them of 
£5,952 15s. 4cl. The community's gratitude is due to the mem- 
bers of the Penny Savings Bank Association who are gratuitously 
influencing so great an amount of silent but suggestive good. 



THE POST OFFICE. 
This admirable establishment continues to exhibit a progress 
commensurate with the advance of the population and of the 
importance of the city, but upon the present occasion, I fear 
that the returns which I have from year to year been 
enabled to include in my reports, may not be completed in 
sufficient time to suit my purpose. The enormous additional 
duties imposed upon the Post Office from time to time, and 
crowned within the last month or two by the transference of the 
Telegraph service of the country to its management, must have 
very greatly enhanced the labours and occupied the time of the 
official gentlemen connected with the establishment. Probably in 
another year I may have an opportunity of resuming the usual 
official figures, which have always been supplied to me with the 
most unvarying politeness and promptitude. 



THE NEW UNIVERSITY. 
These magnificent Buildings have made great and very visible 
progress during the year, and now rapidly approach completion. 
Indeed, in external appearance, they are completed, with the excep- 



100 



tion of the Common Hall and the great Central Spire, and present 
a most effective feature in the landscape. The absence of these 
items will not retard the opening of the College for its appointed 
purposes in November, and the last session of the Old College in 
High Street, is now drawing to a close. 

It may be interesting to note the cost of this splendid pile, 
which, like most great undertakings, has become more and more 
developed in the hands of the managers, who are, however, now 
of opinion that the whole sum required to be expended for the 
entire completion of the structure, and including the expenses of 
removal, will be £427,000. Of this large sum the College funds 
produced £117,500 — the Government gave a grant of £120,000 — 
and public subscriptions up to the present period have realized 
£130,000, so that there remains still to be raised by subscription, a 
sum of £60,000, which the promoters and managers entertain san- 
guine expectations of obtaining. Of this sum the Common Hall and 
its adjuncts will absorb £57,000, but its absence for a time does not 
affect the prosecution of the academical arrangements for the effec- 
tive operations of the coming session. 



ABATTOIES. 
This subject, although by no means attractive, is a very interest- 
ing one when we regard the requirements of so large a population as 
we possess. I have occasionally presented a monthly statement 
of the operations at each of three slaughter-houses, to which all ani- 
mals require to be conveyed, but on the present occasion I merely 
exhibit the annual operations at each establishment. The railway 
works at Moore Street being now nearly completed, the establishment 
will now be finished, and will then form one of the most extensive 
and efficient in the kingdom. The following table exhibits the par- 
ticulars of each class of animal disposed of in each abattoir during 





Oxen. 


Calves. 


Sheep. 


Lambs. 


Goats. 


Pigs. 


Moore Street, 


24,685 


646 


109,944 


39,457 


10 


6,543 


South Side, 


9,810 


569 


34,005 


20,081 


1 


99 


Milton Street, 


8,312 


511 


33,509 


15,411 




450 




42,807 


1726 


177,458 


74,949 


11 


7,082 



101 



The number of oxen has increased as compared with the pre- 
ceding year, by 4,053, and that of calves by 69, while sheep have 
fallen off to the large extent of 33,120 — lambs by exactly 5,000, and 
pigs by 1,987. I am unable to account for this very considerable 
diminution in the quantity of butcher meat required, although 
1868 was an exceptional year as to sheep and lambs, unless" it be 
occasioned by the very enhanced price which this class of food has 
now attained. The following table exhibits the progress of the 
last six years : — 





Oxen. 


Calves. 


Sheep. 


Lambs. 


Pigs. 


1864. 


35,556 


2,740 


116,013 


27,508 


9,769 


1865. 


35,386 


2,191 


131,957 


26,360 


11,072 


1866. 


40,677 


4,991 


152,518 


29,131 


12,557 


1867. 


32,961 


1,539 


192,606 


56,630 


12,045 


1868. 


38,754 


1,657 


210,578 


79,949 


9,069 


1869. 


42,817 


1,657 


177,458 


74,949 


7,082 



CATTLE MAEKET. 
In connection with the preceding subject, I append a sketch of 
the business transacted in the Cattle market during the past year. 

CATTLE, &c, EXPOSED FOR SALE IN CATTLE MARKET FROM 
1st JANUARY, TO 31st DECEMBER, 1869. 

Oxen, .... 64,482 

Sheep, .... 275,212 

Lambs, . . ■ . 127,704 

Horses, . . . . 4,797 

Milch Cows, . . . . 3,186 

Pigs, .... 10,314 

Asses, . . . . 143 

Goats, . ... . 35 



STATUE TO LORD CLYDE. 

By a curious accident, the following paragraph dropped from 
the MS. of my Keport for 1868. Of course it ought to have 
appeared there, but I think it well that it should still be printed. 

On 5th August (1868), the subscription bronze statue to the 
memory of Lord Clyde, K.C.B., K.S.I., formerly Sir Colin 
Campbell, was formally unveiled in the presence of a number 
of the subscribers and of the Lord Provost, Magistrates, and 

N 



102 

Town Council. Sir James Campbell, as representing the sub- 
scribers, formally presented the statue to the Lord Provost, as 
representing the community, and his Lordship accepted the gift 
accordingly. It is executed in bronze by Mr. W. H. Foley, E.A., 
of London, and stands upon the south side of George Square ; 
its granite pedestal being constructed on the same design and 
of the same dimensions as that of Sir John Moore, which latter 
is placed a' little to the west of it. 

As an instance of economical management, I beg to exhibit 
the particulars of the cost of this handsome statue, and to record 
a rare peculiarity in the termination of the arrangements. 

ABSTRACT OF THE ACCOUNTS OF THE LORD CLYDE MEMORIAL. 

RECEIPTS. 

17th Sept., 1868.— 
Total Subscriptions to this date, . £2,063 19 5 
Interest thereon, . . . . 286 0 10 

2,350 0 3 

Deduct — 
Subscriptions unpaid, viz. : 

No. 77, . . £25 0 0 
No. 172, dead, . 2 2 0 

27 2 0 

£2,322 18 3 



EXPENDITURE. 



Cost of Statue, . . . . £1 


200 


0 


0 


,, Pedestal & Foundations for Statue, 


398 


7 


2 


Carriage of Statue and Packing, . 


14 


2 


6 


Advertising, .... 


5 


14 


9 


Printing, Stationery, and Postages, 


12 


9 


9 


Erecting Platform for Inauguration of 








Statue, Barricades, &c, . 


22 


19 


6 


Miscellaneous Expenses, 


12 


7 


9 



1,666 1 5 

Balance in Bank, .... £656 16 10 
GEO. HEADMAN, Hon. Treas. 

Glasgow, 17th Sept., 1868. 

This balance, after the discharge of some requisite expense con- 
nected with the winding-up of accounts, was returned to the 
subscribers in the proportion represented by their subscriptions. 



103 



OBITUAEY, 1 869. 
According to my practice hitherto, I beg here to furnish a list of 
the names of those of your colleagues and predecessors in office who 
have passed away during the year. The list is an unusually long and 
melancholy one, including, as it does, no fewer than seven of 
our respected fellow citizens. Since the close of the year the 
list could already be extended. 

Date of Death. Name. Date of Election. Other Offices held. 

10th Feby., James Martin, 1855 
31st March, John Fleming, 1845 

1851 
1845 
1857 
1836 
1846 



27th June, 
11th July, 
10th Nov., 
20th Dec, 
Also, 



John Fleming, 
Hugh Wilson, 
Eobert Bryson, 
Chas. M'Donald, 
John Bain, 
James Steele, 



Magistrate 1854. 
Kiver Bailie 1855. 
Magistrate 1846. 



Magistrate 1836-8 & 40-43. 
(Precise date of death not 



ascertained). 



CONCLUSION. 
And now, my Lord and Gentlemen, this portion of my annual 
duties has reached its close, and I trust that I may rely upon 
the kind forbearance, which I bespoke at its commencement. The 
pictures exhibited of the condition of the public health, as well 
as of the general condition of trade — an element which certainly 
exercises an important influence upon the public health — are 
neither of them flattering ; but it is my business to narrate, not 
to embellish. Still, it is a fit matter for hopeful congratulation 
that, during the opening months of the present year, there are 
symptoms of improvement in both of these fields of observation ; 
and I trust that we may be justified in looking forward to a 
gradually receding death-rate, as w 7 ell as to a gradually advancing 
and profitable development of the many industries upon which the 
prosperity of our community depends. That in both respects 
these hopes may be realised, is the earnest prayer — in which I am 
very sure .you will all cordially join — of, 

My Lord and Gentlemen, 

Your most obedient Servant, 

WM. W. WATSON 

City Chamberlain. 

Chamberlain's Office, Glasgow, 
25th April, 1.870. 



